Codes and Barriers
by Owlfeather45
Summary: Robin is dead. Well, he should be. Due to the lack of evidence, he is referred to as 'missing,' but the term is just false hope. Wally, who was there during the event, knows for a fact that even if Robin might be alive, he is certainly dead. But when Wally gets a stalker who continuously saves him, he starts to wonder if something deeper is happening, and why it involves him.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so this is future self writing here—the beginning chapters are very, very crappy. I'm here to warn you of three things:**

 **\- Death**

 **\- Cursing**

 **\- Lies**

0o0o0o0

Be careful.

Wally always dreamed about Robin.

It was always the same dream every night that reminded him of the same fact:

Robin was missing.

He wasn't dead—he couldn't be. He was just missing and had been missing for four years. He had gone a few weeks before his eleventh birthday and had never been seen again.

Not dead.

Dead would mean that Wally was a murderer.

Wally was holding Robin in his arms a few moments before his disappearance. The little boy had been bleeding out, Wally was dying, and there was no one to save them.

The reminder that it was his fault that Robin was gone constantly invaded his sleep every time he closed his eyes and waited to dream.

And every time, he would watch Robin smile at him, hands raised, hoping Wally would catch him and knowing that he couldn't.

Every time, he would wake with those dreaded words in his ears.

 _"God damn it, just save him!"_

0o0o0o0

Wally awoke with a start. He was gasping for breath, which wasn't a surprise—until you realize that his heart wasn't beating, so he had no reason to be breathing at all.

'It was just a nightmare,' he thought to himself. 'You're fine, it's just a little dream gone wrong—nothing crazy to be worried about. Just a nightmare.'

It was like a mantra, repeating the words over and over again to make himself calm down. And he was right, it really was just a nightmare, but, as unfortunate as it was, it was also a memory.

A memory that he really didn't want to remember at the moment. He looked over at the clock sitting on his bedside table. The numbers were a bright red, not unlike the kind of his suit. They were flashing at a set pace angrily, almost as if it was trying to scare him off.

Well, it was certainly working.

He could have sworn that morning he could hear his heartbeat ringing in his ears, but that was always just false hope. He was just a walking zombie if he really thought about it. Well, more like a running zombie. The ones on TV were always so _slow_.

Scoffing at himself, he brought himself out from under his covers, using his super speed to make his bed and clean up the trash that littered his floor. He wasn't neat by any means, but he at least went out of his way to clean it up enough so that it didn't smell like crap.

His room used to be a pigsty, but ever since the... event happened, he couldn't help but take matters into his own hands; that, and Robin always used to complain about the stench, even if it was in a joking matter.

It was ironic really. The ebony-haired acrobat had actually made a list of things that Wally should have done, and he bet that he wouldn't ever do it anyways. That included stuff like studying for his history tests, looking both ways before crossing the road, and, yes, cleaning his room.

Now it seemed as if he couldn't ever _not_ get those things done. And if he were to be honest, he felt terrible afterward if he didn't complete those "jobs." It felt almost as if he was ruining all Robin's efforts.

So that was why he cleaned up his room. That's why he tiptoed past his parents' room, that's why he laid a simple breakfast out for them, set up the coffee machine, and that's why, while he set a beer down by his father's plate with shaky hands, he had fewer bruises to hide.

0o0o0o0

It was sunny. Wally was sitting in his calculus class, his face tired with bags underneath his face. They, (they being the Team) had a mission last night, and it lasted until one in the morning, in which he still had to study for three exams the next day.

He was almost glad that he had the nightmare because he wasn't sure if he would have awoken to his alarm clock that morning. _Almost_.

He was staring out the window, watching the birds chirp and fly in circles around one another. They sounded happy, which made him happy in a way, too. It was pretty saddening, really, after Robin's _disappearance_.

Not death.

It seemed as if every bird in the world was suddenly acting out of character.

Wally thought that he was going insane, and his uncle thought so too; if it wasn't for the fact that there were a few reports all over the world saying the same thing, then the redhead would've probably been put into an insane asylum.

When it was released into the public that Robin had died—or at least, was gone—people clamored for more about the hypothesis that perhaps the birds were solemn for the fact that one of their own kind had died.

Wally, much to the surprise of the League, (who thought that perhaps he would join protesters for a day to be reserved just for the young hero) totally threw that idea out the window and stomped on it.

He couldn't—or rather, wouldn't—believe that entire populations of _birds_ would all become emo because a human who dressed in bright colors and a poor representation of an actual robin died.

So, after indulging himself in some evidence, he found an even creepier hypothesis—the birds reacted differently to all the people who were there during the accident. And it was true; really, it was. And it was freaking creepy.

So imagine his surprise when the birds, _robins_ nonetheless, were chirping away. Huh. He'd have to look into that. After lunch. And after school. When he could eat to his stomach's content. (Because, you know, it can't be to his heart's content, 'cause he's dead? Ha! Ha? Ha... I need to stop.)

Despite his long thought process the teacher still hadn't noticed that he was dozing off and thinking about his probably-dead friend instead of math equations. Hey, the list said to study for the tests, it never said anything about paying attention in class.

Which, he was perfectly fine with. He would get around a B in most classes (except for chemistry), which was good enough for him. Not enough to make him stand out, but high enough so he wouldn't get in trouble. It was better than before, with his outstanding Cs. That was fun to explain to his parents.

He would be lying if he said it went along the lines of, "Hey Dad! Great news! I got Cs on every one of my subjects except for my A in chemistry! But don't worry! Who needs to be smart in this world when all you have to do is write fanfictions to become popular!"

(My colleague is not amused by my jokes.)

"Mr. West!" came the voice of his teacher. His head shot forwards, and he stared at the teacher with wide eyes. She was smirking, almost as if she knew that he wasn't paying attention in class.

'Oh great, just kill me now... again.'

"Tell me this, if you may so kindly do so. What is the-" She was cut off by the bell, and she set her jaw in frustration.

'Ha,' Wally thought. 'Not this time, you insane math teacher! Catch me if you can, I'm the gingerbread man!'

One of these days he was _so_ going to get killed. He spoke his thoughts sometimes a little too often.

As the redhead walked down the hallways, he got lost in his thoughts again, which wasn't a surprise. It was lunch now, and while he enjoyed it very much, he also enjoyed the quietness of his school when there weren't any kids around.

He stopped in front of a long row of windows, looking outside at the feathered animals. They were beautiful, really. He placed his hands on the windowsill, the crappy building job resulting in frost crawling in through the cracks. It made his hands unbearably cold, but he didn't mind.

'Wait one second... frost already?' Wally thought again, raising an eyebrow. It wasn't such a surprise that it was already cold enough in August, though it was extremely rare. But frost would have indicated it time for the birds to start migrating...

So either some bad guy with frost abilities was coming to attack the school, or it was the birds. Wally thought about how they were reacting this morning and shook his head.

Something else was up.

He retracted his hands and buried them deep in his pockets, walking off to the lunchroom, deep in thought.


	2. Chapter 2

"B03 — Kid Flash," announced the female's computerized, cool voice. The redhead arrived moments later in his civies, his costume in arm. Moments later, Batman's tutee dropped from the ceiling.

"Hey KF."

"Hey Batgirl," Wally replied, and before he could stop himself, his mouth was already running. "I kinda need your help with something. It's kinda stupid, but there's something up with the birds and I'm wondering if you can help me with your detective skills."

The second redhead blinked, but her mouth quirked into a smile. She had gotten used to his ramblings and his random requests for help that seemed to help nothing whatsoever and yet, somehow, it did.

"Sure, but I don't exactly know what I'm supposed to be helping you with," she said, her eyebrow raised.

Moments later, two archers entered the room, the two having a heated argument.

"For the last time, blondie, you need to step up your game. We can't keep saving you from the weakest of things. Yeah, you're human without superpowers, but so am I, and so is Batgirl. You need to get some real experience under your belt if you want to stick with the team."

"Says the one who I've saved on numerous occasions. You might be right, but I'd recommend that if _you_ want to stay on the team, you get your arrogance under control! You keep on getting us in stupid situations we could've avoided if _you_ learned to be a team player. You don't have to like us, but seriously, would it hurt to just stick with the plan!?"

"Not my fault all your guys' plans suck!"

"Excuse me!? I'll have you know-"

Batgirl interrupted Artemis before she could continue. "You must mean _our_ plans suck, because as much as Artemis would like to see you go, you're still apart of this team, aren't you? So stop arguing and pull your big boy pants on, because you guys need to mature a bit." She sighed when both archers' glares centered on her, and she returned her gaze to Wally. "Sorry, Wally, but I just got a call from Batman. Riddler escaped again. Why don't you start it yourself, so we can at least get some progress done? When I come back I'll help you. See you!"

Before Wally could comprehend, she had gone and disappeared through the zeta tubes. Artemis scoffed and left the room. Roy, however, stayed. There was an awkward silence for a moment, before Roy, surprisingly, started the conversation.

"What was it that Batgirl was going to help you investigate?" he asked.

"It's nothing really. The birds are just acting up again, nothing serious." Wally waved off, ignoring the scowl on Roy's face when Wally wouldn't look at him and instead decided to walk towards his room.

"Nothing serious?" he asked incredulously. Wally fell silent, while Roy walked side-by-side with his "brother".

There was another moment of silence, though this time, Wally broke it instead. "Why _are_ you on the team, Roy? I mean," he started, pausing his venture to his room, looking down at his feet, "it's not like I don't want you on the team, but you don't even want to be on it anyways, so why bother?"

Wally looked up and stared straight into Roy's eyes.

"Robin," he said simply. "He would've wanted me to stay."

And just like that, Roy stalked off, leaving Wally's heart heavy. They were three peas in a pod, and Robin was the one that made them actually like one another. Any other way, and the two redheads would've been at each other's throats. But here they were, best friends, and there was one, large chunk missing from the picture.

 _Robin_. It seemed as if there would never be a way to move on.

0o0o0o0

Wally was stuffing his face full of food. Although this time, he had a reason to do so. Artemis was watching with wide eyes as he opened up six computers at once, being nothing but a red blur due to the crimson hoodie he was wearing. The sound of typing, scratching of a pencil, and papers being flipped resounded within the almost silent room.

This went on for about ten minutes, before he suddenly stopped, his face serious and concentrated.

"Wow," started Artemis. "I've never seen you actually work that hard, Baywatch."

Roy snorted as he entered the room. "I'm guessing I just entered at the wrong time in the wrong place, because I'm telling you, that sounded incredibly wrong."

Artemis' face darkened into a angry glare. "Hey! You know as well as I do that I didn't mean it that way, at all!"

The argument that went down went straight over Conner and Megan's heads. Kaldur, who was also in the room, just barely got what it meant, and he wasn't exactly happy with the lack of maturity on Roy's side for pointing that fact out. Zatanna was giggling slightly, and Rocket snorted, coughing her drink up.

Surprisingly, out of the entire team, Wally was the one to make the fight stop, although Kaldur was shortly behind. The team leader wasn't exactly exhilarated of how the speedster shut them up, but it worked anyways. Some rope, some duct tape, and an extra chair for Roy (seeing as Artemis was already sitting down), the scene was suddenly quiet when the two archers were bound, gagged, and most of all, quiet.

"Oh? Listen guys, can you hear that?" Wally said, cupping his ear for further effect, effectively shushing the archers who were mumbling curses past their gags. "It's _quiet,_ " he whispered loudly, putting emphasis on the last word, successfully angering the two even further.

Wally didn't care that he was probably going to have arrows shot at him later, he could always dodge those things. Bullets were slightly more dangerous to deal with. He munched on a couple more of Megan's cookies (slightly burnt, but better than when she first arrived) and returned to his work. He was buzzing, he was so ready to get back to researching.

And so there he was, several minutes later, eleven pages of notes filled with his messy handwriting. On a clean page, he wrote all his prior questions down, filling in some of the blanks that he managed to figure out. And then, making an on-the-spot decision after realizing that Batgirl probably wouldn't want to read eleven pages of notes, wrote a basic summary of what it was so she could understand what the hell she was reading later on.

"Done," he announced to himself, before closing all the computers he found, running them back to their places before gathering all his notes. That was in his science notebook. God, he hoped that his teacher wouldn't be checking for any doodling done in the notebooks this week. He would get in a hell lotta trouble.

Turning around, he was faced with the wrath of two very, _very_ angry archers.

"Fuc-"

He was so screwed.

0o0o0o0

Batgirl read the notes carefully, soaking up the information.

"Damn," she muttered quietly to herself. "They aren't even migrating to warmer temperatures. That's totally wrong."

Wally nodded. "At first, I thought it was just us affecting them again, but when I was looking up some articles, it's all of them. Well, all that are recorded, anyways. It's like an epidemic."

"Why though? Why refuse to leave? And why aren't the JL affecting the birds anymore?"

Of course. Everyone who wasn't there at the time of the event didn't actually know what happened. They all assumed the whole "bird psychology" thing only affected the Justice League, not just the people at the accident.

Which meant that she didn't know that he was one of the people affecting the birds the most.

"I dunno. Is there something that the League did that caused this? Something that would've changed the members, and in turn, the birds?..." 'But no,' he thought shortly afterwards. 'Because then I would have to have been involved in it too.'

"You know, Wally, I thought you were insane, writing eleven pages of notes on the way birds act, but _this_ is the truly insane thing. I mean, look at this," Batgirl said, pointing to a picture of a man who was getting attacked by birds. "And it wasn't just one kind of species, there had to at least be 13 different kinds of birds there. They're acting like people for goodness sake."

"Maybe we're looking at it wrong," Wally said, turning back to the debate on whether or not the JL did something to cause this. "Maybe the League didn't do anything."

"Then how do you explain the fact that the birds are totally going weird? The JL had to have done something, something big that would negate the effects that they have on the birds, and something that would have caused their natural instincts to fade.

"I mean really, I wouldn't be surprised if the League did something, because the man those birds attacked," she pointed to the picture again, "ended up being a mob leader that was taking advantage of people at the bank. When the police force came to save him, the birds ripped his collar to pieces — mind you, only _after_ the police came — and revealed the tattoo that belonged to that guild. What if the League did some kind of experiment to try and change the birds somehow, and it got out of control?"

Wally shook his head. "It would make sense, but at the same time, not necessarily. Look here," the speedster said. "It says that there was an exact time that the birds changed. In Gotham, that would be around 3:17 in the morning. That's for the _entire_ world, Bats."

"Then, what other solution do we have?" she said, confusion written on her face.

"I don't know, Batgirl. I don't know."

0o0o0o0

 **AHHHHHH! I mean, oh. Hello. Welcome to the sucky fan fiction that I'm currently writing. Thanks for reading, I guess? Don't forget that this is a side project, so unless it gets super popular, (which it won't) and people are begging for more, be aware that this isn't given my full priority. Thanks, and buhbye!**


	3. Chapter 3

Daddybats was scary. Kid Flash had never been the victim of Batman's glare before, mostly because after Robin died, the bat knew how hard he had been hit. And he knew that they were inseparable, so the fact that they _were_ separated only made the fact worse.

But when his second protégé was asleep, leaning on Wally's shoulder, the speedster knew that he would be a good friend and let her stay there, because she had helped him research practically all night.

The problem?

Batman entered his room, looking for his missing tutee, and if he was angry before, he was pissed now.

"What. Is. Going. On." he growled, and the redhead started to sweat in fear.

"Well, you see," Wally stuttered, only for the man in black to growl from lack of answers.

"ShewashelpingmeresearchtheweirdphenomenonthatwasgoingonwiththebirdsandshewastiredfromhelpingmeallnightlongandfellasleeponmyshoulderandIthoughtIwouldbeagoodfriendandletherstaytherebecauseshelookedreallytiredandyeah. Things."

 **(Translation for people who are too lazy to solve it themselves: "She was helping me research the weird phenomenon that was going on with the birds and she was tired from helping me all night long and fell asleep on my shoulder and I thought I would be a good friend and let her stay there because she looked really tired and yeah. Things.")**

The whites from his cowel narrowed, before he released the tenseness in his jaw and sighed. "Fine. But next time this happens, I won't be so forgiving. Tell Batgirl she needs to come in fifteen minutes." He turned around, ready to leave, but stopped when Wally, through reluctant means, asked a question.

"So, uhhh... why did you come to my room to check on her? I mean, why not her own room first?"

Batman looked over his shoulder and back at the redhead. "She doesn't sleep over here because she would have to make an excuse for why she was gone during the night. I covered for her this time, but that meant she was obviously working on something if she was so preoccupied that she didn't realize that she had to go home. All that was required was to ask Red Arrow if she was working on something, and when he said yes, and that you and her were researching together, it became obvious." His eyes narrowed. "Ten minutes now. Get her up."

With that, he left the room, his cape swishing behind him.

Wally looked down at the other redhead. He was so going to have a black eye today.

0o0o0o0

With a frazzled Batgirl behind him, Wally led the tired female towards the zeta tubes. "Sorry for keeping you up for so long," he said bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Sorry for punching you in the face," she grumbled exhaustedly back, and she patted his shoulder before she left, the robotic voice calling her number.

That number always sent a pang to his heart. If Robin was still alive, that would have been his. But it wasn't, and he was gone. Perhaps if he was with them, however, the mission back in Cadmus might've gone more smoothly.

The mission that led to the creation of the Young Justice team was a disaster.

Wally turned around to walk back to his room to take a small nap. Unlike Batgirl, he didn't get any sleep, and he was desperate for a little bit of shut-eye.

0o0o0o0

 _An eight year old Wally was staring up at his mother. She had a cigarette in her mouth, and she puffed out a breath of smoke. She had been smoking since Wally had been five. During the first two years she only did it when she was alone, and when Wally couldn't see what she was doing. She didn't want him to get bad ideas from her._

 _This last year, however, she was getting too stressed out, and she started to do it more often in front of the small child._

 _Like now._

 _It was just her and Wally standing in the living room, looking at the fireplace. The glow lit up the small child's face, his eyes darkened and the corners of the room pitch black, flickering with the flames._

 _"Mom?" came the small voice of Wally. He tugged on the sleeve of her sweater._

 _"Yes, honey?" she said back, trying to smile her best smile in front of him, running her hand through his soft hair._

 _"It's just... isn't that bad for you?"_

 _Wally's mother blinked. She frowned slightly, but kept her voice light. "Yes, honey, it is," she said, trying to keep the exhaustion out of her voice. "So don't do it, alright?"_

 _"I won't," came his response, and relief ran through her. "But... Mom, you're smoking your life away. You won't be able to see all the things I'll be able to do when I grow up."_

 _"Oh, honey," she started, crouching down to meet his teary gaze. "Don't be silly. I'll still be here, even after you graduate from college. Way after that too."_

 _"But..."_

 _"Don't worry about my habits, Wally. You'll be great when you grow up, I just know it. Don't worry about a thing."_

 _Wally nodded, and left the room to go to bed. Her eyes watched his figure disappear into his bedroom._

 _"Mom, you're smoking your life away."_

 _"Mom, you're smoking your life away."_

 _Mom, you're getting worse._

It wasn't necessarily a nightmare, but it wasn't pleasant either. Wally sat up, wincing at his pounding head. He looked at himself in the mirror, his pasty skin staring right back at him. He wasn't as pale as Robin was, but ever since he died, he was pretty _freaking_ pale.

He sighed before getting out of bed.

He should probably visit his mother today. He hadn't yesterday because he was super stoked to get that research done, but now, he had that guilty feeling that he should've done it, no matter how excited he was.

So, with a heavy heart, he left the mountain without a word to anyone, and on his way to the hospital, he picked up a single flower. His mother loved the beauty of morning glories, even if they were weeds.

Kinda like his father, if he thought about it.

He entered the hospital, and the clerk took one glance before nodding his head. He came so often that there was no need to even go through check-ins anymore. The guy could probably place the exact amount of freckles that was on Wally's face, that's how often they saw each other.

Wally walked up the stairs to the third floor, making his way to room 342. He peeked his head in, making sure that his mother's room wasn't moved.

And, just like always, his mother was there, staring at the wall. When she saw him, her eyes brightened, but she didn't smile. They didn't talk much, other than the few things that went on at school or around the neighborhood. It was better than the first two months, where they wouldn't talk at all, and it was simply silent.

After those long, quiet hours, he finally spilled. His mother was surprised when she learned that he was _the_ Kid Flash, but she didn't say anything as he quietly told her everything in detail that ever happened to him (so none of the people passing by could hear him), why he did the experiment on himself, how hard it was to keep it from her and his father, everything and anything.

And she accepted him. She wasn't overly joyous at having a superhero as a son, and she didn't immediately treat him like a god. She had practically turned a blind eye to him for the first fifteen years of his life; she wasn't going to act all happy, and like he was the perfect son all of a sudden. She would hate herself if she did that.

Ever since, she would watch television, watching her son make stupid and brilliant decisions, mistakes, and victories over camera while he was in costume. She helped him with history, because that was her favorite subject as a child and she had to at least make _some_ kind of impact on him in his life, even if it was as small as a different grade.

Because they both knew she wasn't going to live for much longer.

 _"Don't be silly. I'll still be here, even after you graduate from college. Way after that too."_

That might have been the case, if it wasn't for the fact that she dug herself deeper into the hole she started to make. Three packs a day. And, when that wasn't enough for her, she looked for something else.

 _"Mom?"_

 _Wally's mother froze. "Yes, sweetie?" she called to her eleven year old son, her hand on the doorknob that led to outside, the metal cold in her hand. She thought that Wally had slept in early, and so she was about to leave when he appeared right behind her. She almost wondered if he was getting practice from someone else on how to sneak around silently. She didn't even hear him entering the room._

 _"Please don't do this. It's only going to make it worse."_

 _"Don't worry about it, Wallace. It's only once. Just once, I promise you."_

Cocaine and marijuana was pure karma. It was one night, just one. She had made an acquaintance that promised her one night of drugs. Then she would be done.

It didn't work out that way.

 _She was smoking in the living room. A small hand, one that belonged to a twelve year old, snatched it out of her hand when it left her mouth._

 _"What do you think you're doing?" She snarled by accident, venom leaking, albeit unwillingly, in her words._

 _Wally stared back at her unflinchingly. "I made a friend a couple months ago. I told him everything, mom. I told him everything. He said to me, "If she's smoking and you care about her, than take it from her. Let her whine, let her be mad at you, but if you truly care for her, then take the cigarette or whatever other drugs she has in her mouth, and take it again and again and again. And don't give it back." Well, I'm doing just that."_

 _His eyes narrowed at her own shocked face. Before she could even yell at him for telling someone, he continued. "I care about you mom. I'm not going to let you do this to yourself anymore. Just one drug. Cut off one drug._

 _"Because at this rate, I'll be more surprised if we_ don't _find a tumor in your lungs before I graduate from high school."_

He was right. She had a tube in her throat, one that moved in an out as she rasped out her words. She had a hole in her throat. That was how far she had dug her grave. You couldn't even recognize that she was only in her mid-thirties — her wrinkles, dark eyes and croaky voice would make her seem more like she was in her early fifties.

She reached out her hand, and Wally gently took it, scared that he would break it if her held it too roughly. She looked so fragile, so pathetic.

"Hey, Mom."


	4. Chapter 4

Wally would be lying if he said that he wasn't scared. Why was he scared, you ask?

Because Batman wanted a talk with him.

Alone, along with Batgirl.

He was so screwed.

"Bats, if this is about that night a couple days ago, he said he was sorry. And nothing happened, really! You even checked the cameras just to be sure!" Batgirl said.

Wally didn't know which was worse — the fact that Batman still wanted to talk with him after knowing nothing was up, or that he had _cameras_ in his room. Like, what in the blazes?! So him being him, he immediately called that out.

"Whoah whoah whoah, say what? What on earth do you mean there's _cameras_ in my _room_?! Isn't that, like, technically stalking or whatever?!" He said frantically. He was a bit frazzled from the amount of stress he was going through at the moment.

"It's not that that I'm worried about," Batman said gruffly, ignoring Wally's outburst. "I want to talk about the research you were doing beforehand."

"Oh. That's it?"

"Yes, Batgirl. What, is there something else I should be made aware of?" he said patiently, but there was something lighter in his tone — one that only Wally and Batgirl could hear after years of practice — which probably indicated humor.

"Eh, yeah, no, nothing at all," she said, stuttering. This is a problem when you have a parent in the police force — you get really good at lying, but boy do you have trouble telling the truth while being nonchalant.

Did Wally know her civilian identity? No. No, he did not.

Did Batgirl do something stupid and accidentally reveal her father's occupation in front of Wally? Yes. Yes, she did.

"Now, I'd rather not waste any more time. Kid Flash, come along. Batgirl, you too," the bat said.

The two redheads shared a look, and Wally sighed as he placed his half-eaten cookie back on its plate. He stood up and followed the much taller man, dragging his feet along, Batgirl close behind. "So uh," he started, breaking the awkward silence. He coughed into his hand. "You said that you wanted something?"

"Yes," he replied simply, but only once the trio were out of earshot of the few members of the Team that were in the living room at the time. They finally reached an empty room, where he decided to bring up several holograms. Wally immediately recognized the articles on them.

"The bird epidemic?" Batgirl read off the paper, disgust evident in her voice. "Look," she quickly added, "not that this is something that we should be ignoring, but I don't get the sudden interest in this whole ordeal. Is there something else going on?"

Batman's frown deepened ever so slightly, but other than that, he remained the same. "Depends. I've called you in order to help with your input. The League has taken this "epidemic" with a grain of salt, and any theories are welcomed. We have discussed about whether or not this phenomenon is a personalized threat gone too far."

At this, Batgirl scowled. "We thought that _you_ guys were the ones behind this. And now you're telling us that that's not the case? If it makes you feel any better, I couldn't figure anything out. I didn't even see the possibility of it being a threat before."

The whites of Batman's cowl narrowed. "Perhaps not you, but there _is_ another person in this room."

The two bats looked over to the speedster.

Wally paled considerably. "Wait, you want _me_ of all people to help with this case?! But I'm terrible when it comes to detective work! And plus, if Batgirl didn't find anything, there's no way I would be able to solve it!"

"Not necessarily. While Batgirl is great with detective work, it won't help in this case. I need a fresh set of eyes to look on this puzzle," the Leaguer said.

"But how-" Wally started, only to get interrupted by the female redhead.

"I get it now. Wally, as _much_ as I appreciate the support, the problem is the way Batman and I think. In order to solve our cases, we approach it a certain way — a way that I was taught when I was being trained under him. Because of that, we think too similarly. Even if I were to point something out that Batman might've missed, I wouldn't be able to make any headway. But you were raised differently with how to solve cases, and you might be able to shed new light," she explained, sighing lightly at her own words.

Wally looked troubled, raising his hands in front of him, the gesture declaring him being alarmed. "Even so, I'm not really a smart person. I can barely keep my grades above Cs, and you expect me to solve something not even the World's Greatest Detective can solve? Like, I appreciate the faith and all you guys are putting in me, but still... that's a lot of pressure that you'll just end up wasting."

Batgirl scoffed. "At least _try_."

Wally glanced at the holographs with a constipated expression. "Err... Well, I guess we should start with the people getting attacked part, right?"

The other two occupants in the room shared a look, almost as if it was saying "he has no idea what he's doing, does he?" that went straight over Wally's head.

Wally seemed to be talking to himself. "Let's see. So far there has been twenty three victims that have been attacked and revealed to have some kind of criminal background..." His eyebrows were furrowed, and he crossed his arms, deep in thought.

Batman and Batgirl stared at him for a second, and before long, a whole minute had passed. The two were wondering what was going on in his head, because his legs were vibrating, a sign that he was excited — and that the gears were turning a mile a minute in his head.

They were just about ready to call him out when a metaphorical lightbulb appeared above his head. "That's it!"

'Oh god,' Batgirl thought, 'please don't make a stupid declaration.'

"There are two different influences that are affecting the birds!" he exclaimed, and his eyes glimmered.

The other redhead sighed mentally and rose an eyebrow. "Care to explain what on _earth_ you're talking about?"

"Think about it!" he exclaimed, appearing by her side in an instant. He waved up a hologram of the globe, the earth slowly spinning, showing off twenty three red dots that were scattered among the different lands that belonged to the victims. He froze the hologram once it came into a certain position, and he zoomed in. Two dots, the first and second victim, were given their full attention.

"What exactly am I supposed to be looking at?"

"No no, just think about it!" He pointed to the dot of the first victim of the bird attacks. "Look here. Andrew Ressun was the first victim, yada yada yada. He was located in Beijing of China. Now, look at the second victim." The speedster pointed to the second dot, located not too far away from the first. "His name was Parker Lane, and he was a couple hundred miles away from the first guy. In order to get from Beijing to the second guy's location by the fastest use of transportation, you'd have to use the train, which would-"

"Take two and a half hours," Batman finished, making Wally flinch. He had almost forgotten that he was there.

"Exactly!" Wally exclaimed, happy that he understood.

"I'm sorry, I think I'm missing something... Why does the transportation between their two locations matter? We're talking about these people being attacked by birds, I'm not sure I'm following why trains matter in this case," Batgirl said, raising an eyebrow as she put her hands on her hips.

"Between the first attack and the second attack, there was a three hour time period," Batman said.

"So...?"

Wally interrupted before Batman could further confuse his protege. "Think about it, Batgirl. Three hours after Russen was attacked, Lane was too. It takes two and a half hours to get from Beijing, where Russen was attacked, to Lane's general location. Those extra thirty minutes was probably spent trying to find Lane."

It suddenly occurred to the female. "So what you're saying is, these attacks aren't random, and someone went out of their way to attack the specific twenty three people by using the fastest transportation means to get to each one..."

"The pattern continues. It wasn't just Russen to Lane. After Lane was attacked, the third victim, who was half an hour away, was attacked thirty eight minutes later! That means that there's someone who is controlling the birds to attack their targets, and that they have to be at the attack in order to control them!" Wally said.

Batgirl nodded at this, but her frown still remained. "So one person or thing has controlled some birds to attack these people... But why would they attack _those_ twenty three people exactly? The victims, so far anyways, don't have any connection or anything similar, other than the fact that they were all criminals..."

"Let's not go too deep to the point where I can't think. Just the basics, because otherwise my brain will hurt." Wally grumbled out. "So, we have a person who has attacked these twenty three criminals, or victims, if you wanna put it that way.

"They travel the quickest way possible to get to these victims, so they obviously have to be there in order to control the birds to attack their targets, in which the control is temporary, since the birds that are attacking these victims are different every attack. These targets are all criminals. So we've got a little bit figured out..." He sounded perplexed.

"By the way, what was it that you meant about there being two different influences affecting the birds?" Batgirl asked.

"Oh. Well, I thought it was kinda obvious now, but if you think about it, we've already established that the attacker guy can only control the birds while he's (assuming their gender) there, and even then, it's temporary. But the entire population of birds is now acting strange. _And,_ they aren't acting hostile, they're acting... mild."

By then, the redhead figured out what he meant. "That's right! Since our mystery attacker has a limit to his controlling abilities, there's no way he's commanding all the birds at once."

"Which means," Wally continued her train of thought, "that either a), there's something else that's causing the birds to act like this."

"B), our mystery attacker _is_ affecting the birds this way, but he can't control them entirely, (and/or it's more of a side effect than anything) or c), the birds are acting this way as a self-defense mechanism against our bird attacker," Batgirl finished.

Wally nodded. "Exactly."

"I see. What now?" the redheaded female asked.

Wally's face turned desperate. "Um... I'm not sure what you mean...?"

Batgirl gave him a look. "What, don't tell me that you gave us a theory that was only based on a single tidbit of the case?"

Wally's triumphant smile became lopsided. "Maybe?..."

Batgirl's face morphed into one of frustration. "Really?! Really, Wally!?" There wasn't any venom in her words, but he could still hear the boiling anger threatening to strangle him. Wally tensed ever so slightly, and he could see from his peripheral vision Batman's eyes narrowing, the whites of his cowl growing slimmer as the Leaguer noticed his sudden apprehension.

Batgirl was going on her rant, but she was more-or-less talking to herself. "I mean really, if the entire thing isn't solved, then that means that one little detail that is revealed in the future could change all our theories! It makes the entire thing useless! Like-" She was suddenly cut off when the holograms flickered, flashing as a new article was brought up.

Wally's eyes flew to the obstruct diversion, his face contorted in surprise. Batgirl's eyes went wide, and she immediately fell silent, her face somewhat flushed. The three all stared at the headline, a sinking feeling growing in Wally's stomach.

 _"Are Birds Returning to Normal After the Attack on Four Criminals in Gotham?"_

0o0o0o0

 **So, fun fact: the whole bird thing?**

 **Yeah, that was literally just supposed to be mentioned once or twice, not be a full-blown investigation. Whatever. It works, I guess. (Future note: Yeah, it really does work out, now that I've figured out the rest of the plot.) Thanks for all your support, though I have no idea why the crap you guys are reading this. :D**


	5. Chapter 5

Artemis shook him awake, and he had barely opened his eyes before the words had entered his ears. "Come on, Baywatch. We have a mission in an hour, and Batman is going to come any minute now to give us the details."

Wally, bleary-eyed and exhausted, looked down at the table he was sleeping on. His homework was piled all around him, forgotten.

He had spent a late night at the hospital, listening to his mother talk. He had wanted to leave early that day, but hearing her talk to him instead of listening was comforting. Even if he had to listen to her raspy voice that sounded like nails on a chalkboard every time she croaked out a word, and hear her hoarse coughs between each interval.

So here he was, about to go on a mission in the wee hours of the morning, not guaranteed to come back to go to school in time, and he still had two essays, one project, and eight documents that needed to get done.

Life was a cruel joke.

He sighed but stood up, the blonde archer having already left. He stretched, popping his back in the process. Within seconds he was in the living room, Kid Flash suit on and as annoyingly bright as ever. He was currently wondering how on earth he managed to be one of the founders of a covert team when the robotic voice of the computer announced, "01 — Batman."

'Geez, Artemis wasn't kidding when he said he'd be here any minute,' the redhead thought, looking at the tall male dressed in black.

Batman didn't bother with greetings and got straight to the point. "Your mission tonight is simple. There's been indications of violence at the new labs in Metropolis. They have refused entry of the League, and we have reasons to believe they are withholding vital information from us that have cost people their lives; be aware that they are probably experimenting." He didn't say how they were, or what they were experimenting with, but no one asked.

"You will be strictly covert. If anything is out of line, or there is any suspicious activity going on, you will immediately report back here."

0o0o0o0

 _"Link set up?"_ Aqualad's voice entered his mind, and it caught Wally off guard for a second, even if he was expecting it.

 _"Of course,"_ came Miss Martian's response.

 _"Everyone ready?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"Ready to kick butt!"_

 _"Do you need to ask?"_

 _"Better than ever."_

 _"Sure thing!"_

 _"Always."_

 _"Definitely!"_

 _"Yeppers!"_

The bioship zipped in the air, slowing down at a snail's pace. Their target would be coming up in a few minutes. They were all camouflaged, ready to go on the sly and get to the deepest parts of the new labs. Batgirl was sitting on the floor of the ship, messing with her gloves. She was their best hacker, and Kid Flash could only assume she was triple-checking that everything was in order so she would be ready to go when they landed.

"We will be arriving in eighty six seconds," Miss Martian called, and Kid Flash took that time to take a couple power stretches before they landed. Superboy looked at him, almost annoyed by the constant buzzing, but he remained silent.

The redhead paused as the bioship landed, and he was reacquainted with the feeling of the lack of motion.

It was unnerving.

The nine of them escaped the confines of the ship, it turning invisible at Miss Martian's command. They were in a small clearing next to an abandoned warehouse, the labs not too far away. Batgirl took one second to look over everyone to make sure everything was in order when Aqualad's voice was heard in their heads.

 _"Artemis, Rocket, when we arrive, you will be paired up to do a perimeter check on the left side of the building. Zatanna, you will have to take the right side."_ All of them started to move their way towards their target, mostly silent. Kid Flash forced himself to not go ahead and stick with his teammates until further notice.

 _"Kid Flash, go on up ahead to scout for us, see if there is any guards or lookouts that we may have to avoid."_... Further notice being right then.

The teen nodded and ran ahead, the dust rising as his movements caused a slight pickup of wind. Everything seemed to slow down, and he ran through most of the empty streets ahead. This side of Metropolis was mostly barren and rundown, and it was starting to make sense as to why the labs would be built here, where it was so far away from prying eyes of normal people.

By the time he returned, the others had all made some progress getting towards the location, although Kid Flash could have easily ran laps around them, despite their speedy headway.

 _"Nothing,"_ he thought to the others. _"It's completely deserted."_

 _"Weird,"_ Rocket thought. _"You'd think that they'd at least have some sort of protection against themselves."_

 _"It is kinda odd, but they probably didn't want to attract further attention to them,"_ Batgirl replied.

The ground beneath them changed slightly, turning from dusty and barren to slightly greener, dry weeds crawling their way up the ground. The labs appeared in their vision, and just like Aqualad had ordered, Rocket and Artemis separated, making their way along the left side of the labs, Zatanna on the right.

Kid Flash and Superboy remained standing while the other four — Red Arrow, Batgirl, Miss Martian, and Aqualad — crouched down. Batgirl brought up the labs' security features on her hologlove. She started to type away, overriding the defenses while the others prepared to sneak their way inside.

 _"There seems to be an entryway on my side,"_ Zatanna's voice said.

 _"How far is it?"_ Aqualad asked.

 _"Not very. It's a vent system. You should be able to enter without revealing yourselves."_

 _"The vents are bigger than most,"_ added Batgirl, who brought up the building's infrastructure. _"Even Superboy could fit."_

 _"Then that shall be our way in. Zatanna, try to stay in that area. We will meet you soon enough, right after Batgirl disables the rest of the security,"_ said Aqualad.

 _"Will do."_

 _"Rocket, Artemis, is there anything we should be made aware of before we go inside?"_ Aqualad asked his teammates.

 _"Not really, not from what I can tell,"_ Rocket said, before turning her own attention to the other female. _"What about you, Artemis?"_

 _"Hmm. I think you should keep your eyes open. There's been a bunch of stragglers that have left the buildings periodically, but there was a whole group that left at once. They all had similar badges, too. I think they worked together. I'm guessing that there was a huge project going on or something,"_ Artemis said.

 _"Noted,"_ came Batgirl's reply before Aqualad could say anything. _"Security is down. We should move now."_

 _"Alright. Batgirl, lead us to where Zatanna is. Kid Flash, make sure to keep an eye out for anything suspicious,"_ Aqualad said, _"Superboy, Miss Martian, make sure nothing is following us."_

Superboy scowled, still uncomfortable with being ordered around, but he didn't reject it as the other three nodded. Batgirl shut off her hologlove, and the group was sent back into darkness as the luminescence from her device was shut off. The team blinked to adjust their eyesight, the redheaded bat already running towards their teammate.

They silently followed after her, their footsteps muted by the harsh winds and loud chirps of the birds migrating south. Kid Flash looked up at the avians, deep in thought.

He knew that he was totally going to be out of it for the rest of the mission, but he really couldn't care less at the moment.

They had finally reached the female magician, her eyes narrowing when they came up to her. _"You guys scared the crap out of me. I didn't see you coming,"_ she said through the mental link.

 _"I'll take that as a good sign that we're not complete failures when it comes to being covert,"_ Kid Flash mused, and Batgirl shook her head at the comment, although he could see the small smile on her face.

 _"The entryway?"_ the redheaded bat asked, and Zatanna nodded before floating silently to the closed vent, raising her hand to direct them towards it in the dark. Aqualad nodded and looked pointedly towards Batgirl. She surged forwards and quickly removed all the nails before silently placing the cover on the ground.

 _"Let us go now, before we are found out,"_ Aqualad thought, and Batgirl entered before Kid Flash, seeing as he was fastest and he could keep up with the quick and sly bat. Aqualad was next, before Miss Martian and Red Arrow, Superboy bringing up the rear.

 _"Rocket, Artemis, Zatanna, stay on guard. We will call you if your assistance is needed,"_ Aqualad thought one last time before bringing his attention back onto the others after they all sent him their confirmations.

They continued moving along until Batgirl suddenly stopped at a fork in the vents. There were three new ways, and she took her spot on the right turn before she stopped moving. _"There's some people talking through this open vent. I think we should spread out and listen on their conversation."_

 _"Sounds logical enough,"_ Kid Flash replied, taking his spot on the area just straight ahead. He moved back some to give Aqualad some room as Miss Martian and Superboy took the left turn.

"-but I don't think that it was a good call to redo that experiment. I mean, I know it was important, but at the same time, it shouldn't be given our full priority. All it does is force the person given the concoction to stop controlling other entities."

"I disagree," came another voice. "It doesn't just stop the person or thing from controlling others, it takes away that ability. _Permanently_. However, I do comply that recreating it was not a good idea. It was stolen way back when, and we had only made four milliliters of the thing. Even if the mixture is extremely strong, the robber may just come back for more. We're wasting millions on this thing. And knowing our luck, the League probably won't bother to buy it from us. That's what we're counting on, for them to pay our debts. If this continues any longer, we may have to go full-criminal and sell it to the Light."

"I hope not."

"Let's just pray it's someone other than the Court. I would hate to go down that road. Assassins aren't good with meddling."

The voices faded, and the teenagers glanced at each other.

 _"That was..."_ Kid Flash started.

 _"Convenient?"_ Batgirl finished, and the speedster nodded.

 _"And frighteningly informational,"_ Red Arrow added, his face grim.

 _"What do you think they meant when they said the Light and the Court?"_ Miss Martian asked, her face full of worry.

 _"I've heard some of the members of the League talk about the Light, but the Court is new to me,"_ Superboy stated.

 _"When did you hear that?"_ Red Arrow asked.

 _"Superhearing. I think Superman forgets I exist sometimes. Or, at least, the fact that I have some of his abilities,"_ the brunette replied, his face set in a scowl.

 _"Geez. That sucks. I'm sorry man,"_ Kid Flash said, sympathetic with the buff male. Scratch that. He was empathetic with him. He knew full well how it felt to know that your father didn't want to even acknowledge your existence. Not that anyone knew about it.

 _"As important as team bonding is, we have to keep moving. The question is whether or not we want to contact the League or move farther in for more information,"_ Batgirl said, bringing all attention to their leader.

Aqualad sighed. _"As informative as moving farther in could be, the chances of us getting caught may increase. If that occurs, the Labs could easily hide any and all information connecting them to their criminal activities. The League can handle further investigation."_

The team of six nodded before it fell silent, no one moving.

 _"Wow. This has got to be the quickest we've ever gone in a mission,"_ Kid Flash joked, and Red Arrow raised and eyebrow.

 _"Well, Batman_ did _say that if there was any suspicious activity, we should report back to him immediately,"_ Miss Martian said quietly, a small smile on her face.

 _"How surprised do you think the League will be when they realize that we actually managed to successfully pull off a mission covertly?"_ Batgirl asked, a smirk on her face.

 _"Let's not get too carried away. We're still in the building of our future enemies, remember?"_ Red Arrow said.

 _"Right,"_ Superboy started. _"We should move now."_

Zatanna raised an eyebrow when she saw them all come out of the vents.

 _"No explosions? No injured teammates? No buffed up scientist on drugs?"_ she asked, and Kid Flash snorted, a grin on his face.

 _"Wait, you gotta be kidding me. Those idiots actually pulled it off?"_ Artemis' voice entered through the link.

 _"What do you know? I was stretching the entire time for a fight to happen, but I suppose that was unneeded,"_ Rocket joked, and Red Arrow rolled his eyes.

 _"Let's just go, before I decide that I need to shoot some people. Mainly the scientists. With my explosive arrows,"_ he grumbled, making his way to the bioship.

Miss Martian frowned. _"He left the link..."_

 _"It's all right green cheeks. He's always a grump,"_ Kid Flash said, appearing by her side, a hand on her shoulder.

 _"Was there a time he wasn't?"_ Artemis said sarcastically, coming into view, walking side-by-side with Rocket.

\- le quick flashback -

 _"Awww, stop being such a grumpy cat," came a high-pitched voice of a nine year old as he hugged the pouting older boy._

 _"I'm not a grumpy cat, Robin," Speedy replied gruffly._

 _"Then why are you frowning? That isn't very asterous, you know."_

 _Speedy sighed but smiled. "Oh shut up Boy Wonder."_

\- le quick flash end -

Miss Martian sensed Kid Flash's sudden sadness as his arm went back to his side. He answered Artemis' question, despite it being rhetorical.

 _"Yeah. There was a time where Red Arrow would smile on his own,"_ Kid Flash said, as he stared at the redhead's back glumly. _"Those were good times."_

Kid Flash shrugged it off before smiling awkwardly. _"Hey, I heard you made some fresh cookie batter. How about some celebration cookies when we get back to the mountain?"_

Miss Martian seemed happy about the idea as they made their way to the bioship, and she clapped her hands together in excitement, causing Kid Flash's smile to widen into a grin.

It didn't reach his eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

They were so screwed, it wasn't even funny.

Okay, scratch that, it was kinda hilarious how they were all getting the crap beat out of them. After all, the human conscience loves to watch others suffer for their amusement. That's how it works. So it was hilarious for you wonderful readers.

But, unfortunately, not for them.

"Artemis, watch out!" Kid Flash called, and the blonde ducked just in time for a crowbar to rush over her head.

"Thanks, but watch your own d*mn back!" she called, and Kid Flash pivoted on the spot only to get punched in the jaw from Bane. His body went flying, and he was pretty sure his jaw was broken only to have his back slam into a convenient wall, web-like cracks spreading from the impact of his landing.

"Ugh, that's gonna hurt in the morning," he groaned, just barely dodging another punch to the face as Bane came back for seconds.

"So, uh, how's the weather been recently in jail? Well, before you decided to break out?" he asked, trying to distract his opponent. It didn't occur to him that that wasn't the best thing for him to say, as Bane roared angrily and started to punch him furiously.

See, this is the problem with the sudden equation down below.

Team + fake call of emergency = Team fighting Bane, Poison Ivy, and Joker (including all his goons, which would equate to about fifty of them).

Let's just say, it became extremely chaotic.

They were currently on the roof of a very large building, small drops of rain falling onto the ground. Kid Flash didn't want to know what would happen if Bane threw him off the edge. Granted, it was only four stories up, but it was bound to still cause damage.

The other problem?

It was dark. Extremely, totally, blindingly, pitch-black kinda dark.

Batgirl and Artemis were fighting off Joker, Aqualad, Rocket, and Superboy the goons, and Miss Martian, Red Arrow, and Zatanna were fighting off Poison Ivy.

Leaving Kid Flash all to himself.

The redheaded speedster couldn't fathom why the team thought it a good idea to leave two of their human, no-power-teammates with the Joker. What, were they trying to get them killed?

But he supposed he couldn't worry about them at the moment. After all, he was currently fighting a buffed-up powerhouse all by himself, and he wasn't willing to break any more ribs at the moment.

Kid Flash just barely dodged another punch to his torso from the villain, but he was left open to a swing to the gut, causing him to roll off to the side, coming close to the edge as he coughed up his dinner. Groaning, he shakily stood up again.

"¿Está bien?" he asked mockingly, grinning while showing off his crooked teeth.

"No, no estoy bien," Kid Flash replied through gritted teeth, holding his arm gingerly over the tender skin of his stomach.

Bane scowled before growling, attempting to punch the teenager again. With difficulty, the redhead moved out of the way before running up Bane's back. He felt strong, meaty hands grip his ankles and the speedster just barely managed to grasp the tubes on the villain's neck before Bane threw him to the ground, causing Kid Flash to yelp in pain. The tubes were ripped out in the process, and Bane roared in anger.

A strong kick to the face was all it took to knock the older man unconscious.

Wally stood up, panting. He was pretty sure he broke a few bones, but with his fast healing, he wasn't worried too much about hurting the following day after the next: Monday. The dreaded beginning of the school week.

His head snapped up at the sudden cry of pain that he was sure was Miss Martian's, and his mouth dried as he watched chaos reign. He should probably join the battle, shouldn't he?

He was about to run forward when he heard two clicking sounds, alarming him of two guns getting ready to be fired.

'Shoot,' he thought quickly. (No pun intended, I swear, you have to believe me!)

As everything started to slow down around him, he was suddenly struck with the realization of how dire the situation was. There was a man behind him, Goon #1 we could say, aiming for the yellow and red clad speedster's back. If he decided to dodge, which he really wanted to do, the bullet would instead hit Artemis, who was directly in front of the line of fire, albeit much farther off. So he could stay and take the bullet, which wouldn't cause too much trouble, but that would also mean that he would have to sit and watch the other guy, Goon #2, (who was also aiming at the blonde), shoot her instead.

The obvious solution would be for him to get Artemis and make her duck for cover or something, but with his injuries, he wouldn't be able to reach her in time. Granted, he'd make it pretty close, but not enough. She was too far away, and the closest person nearby was the guy aiming for her.

Kid Flash sighed. He could easily knock the gun out of the Goon #2's hands, and on the way become a human meat shield and block the bullet for Artemis. That way, no one would die, and he would only get kinda injured - but it was a gunshot; he could handle those, right?

He sped over to Goon #2, and just like he planned, he knocked the gun out of his grip. He smiled before running over to the slow-moving Artemis. The rain was falling harder now, but it fell slow and quiet against the concrete and suit. His face was covered in a layer of moisture, and the humming of the downpour was almost soothing.

He was expecting the sudden rush of pain by the time he reached the blonde archer, but there was no bullet. No gunshot. No pulled trigger.

He stopped running for a second, and the torrent of rain suddenly increased in loudness along with the sounds of violence breaking out. He looked behind him, expecting to see the guy pulling the trigger as Artemis bounded away, hitting Joker upside the head.

The Goon #1 was on the floor, gun still in his hand, although his grip on it was loosened. His back was on the floor, and he was spread eagle-like as he groaned. The shower of thick droplets of water fell onto him, drenching his clothes and cleaning the gun spotless.

A blade stuck out of his abdomen.

It was covered, almost to the hilt, in blood, though what wasn't was gleaming and clean enough that Kid Flash could see his reflection if he wanted to. In the background lights, it glistened, shining starkly against the darkness of the goon's outfit.

He would live, Kid Flash analyzed, letting out a sigh of relief once he realized that the blade hadn't sunk too deeply into the skin and hit anything important.

He hadn't just witnessed a murder.

The speedster glanced around at the separate buildings, trying to find his savior when his gaze landed on a dark form. He recognized it immediately, and his eyes narrowed. The figure was geared in an armored suit, plates of thick but lightweight grey metal providing amplified protection. In between each plate, you could see the skin-tight black kevlar suit underneath. A silver helmet sat on their face, no openings in the mask revealing their face or how they could see at all.

There they were again.

The figure tilted their head to the side, almost mockingly, their figure lax but muscles tightened, as if ready to fight if needed. Kid Flash winced when he disappeared, even to his fast eyesight, right under his nose.

This wasn't the first time he had been saved by _them_ , though the speedster had no idea who _they_ were, or even what gender they went by so he could call the mysterious person he or she. It was annoying, really, and he wanted so badly to figure them out, and why they always disappeared on him; when he tried to tell the Team of them, they all just waved him off as it just being illusions.

They couldn't be an illusion, because they just _stabbed_ a man.

Kid Flash grimaced when he heard Artemis yell at him through the link.

 _"Come on Baywatch! We need your help over here with this stupid insane clown!"_

The speedster flinched at the sudden loud noise in his head. Miss Martian had been sufficiently hurt enough to the point that she couldn't keep the mind link up, and resorted to helping what little she could with Poison Ivy with the rest of the team that weren't busy with the other villains.

So he was a little surprised to hear the angry archer's voice screaming in his mind.

 _"I'm coming, I'm coming,"_ he thought to the rest of the team, mainly Artemis to pacify her.

He turned away from the man who was stabbed after he fell unconscious from lack of blood, but only after he called the ambulances. They would be coming shortly, and with Poison Ivy and a majority of the goons down, it wouldn't be long before the rest of the breakouts fell too. By the time he returned to the unconscious figure of the goon, having taking down the others, something was obviously missing, mainly being the knife.

And that meant the evidence that went with it.

0o0o0o0

Kid Flash walked around the area. They weren't too far from the mountain, and he was perfectly content with running back, but currently, he was looking for clues on where his dubbed stalker went. So far, there weren't any evidence leading to them, but who knows? Maybe the speedster would end up bumping into them.

The redhead sighed, looking around the area. He knew it was futile - the rain did a good job of washing everything away - but he couldn't help but search one last time. He was starting to get annoyed with the lack of answers. This wasn't the first time he was saved by them.

There was that time where him and Barry were stopping a robbery from a local bank, and while Flash was outside, dealing with the goons, Kid Flash was dealing with the three men inside. Of course, they had powerful weapons, so he was slightly underhanded, and before long, he was on the brink of unconsciousness. He only managed to knock one out, and the other two were badly bruised, but that was about it.

And then a pellet fell from the ceiling. At first, not much happened, but then they suddenly fell to the ground, and Kid Flash realized that it was sleeping gas. He was unaffected, but it still threw him threw a loop. Looking around, and finally up, he saw a glimpse of something, or rather, someone, in the rafters before they were suddenly gone.

That was how the ritual worked - Kid Flash would get in trouble, they would save him, remove the evidence afterwards, and make sure he caught a glimpse of them, and then disappear. It was incredibly frustrating, and even more so because no one he told believed a word he said. And the one time he tried to look at the cameras for some kind of evidence?

He found the footage looped.

Ugh.

Kid Flash glanced around one last time in the alleyway he was located in when his stomach growled angrily. He sighed, placing a hand on his stomach. "I guess it's time to head back to base," he muttered before disappearing in a flash.

The figure sat on the rooftop, legs dangling over the side, watching the redhead disappear from the cobblestoned back alley. Their armored suit gleamed in the morning rays of light, their dark grey, almost black, kevlar outfit sitting underneath the plates, rubbing against their irritated skin. The wind brushed off the last droplets of water from their plated getup.

Beneath the mask, their lips twitched upwards into a faint smile.


	7. Chapter 7

Wally stared at the one-way glass in front of him. So far, the interrogation room was emptied out, but soon there would be many visitors. Many, many visitors.

The twenty-seven victims. The twenty-seven criminals.

Wally had his arms crossed comfortably around his torso as Batman stood stiffly beside him. "Do you know why the birds are acting normal now that these guys are captured?" Wally asked the Leaguer despite his little fear of totally getting shut down by the man. He _was_ intimidating.

"No," was the only response he got.

Wally sighed, before returning his gaze into the room. Black Canary had entered through the door and pulled the chair closest to the glass back so she could sit in it. Her back was to them, and the speedster could see the slightest hunch of her shoulders. She was obviously exhausted, and he assumed that she had a long night in Star City fighting criminals and such.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, and Black Canary's slightest fidgeting, the first victim was brought in. Wally bit his bottom lip but didn't say anything as the tall man sat down.

Black Canary stared at him for a second before asking him the first question.

"Do you know why you were attacked, Andrew Ressun?" she asked simply, looking at the man with narrowed eyes. Her voice sounded different, almost muffled as it reached behind the glass and into the secret room behind.

The man was tall and had a slight bulge on his stomach, and his thick hands revealed that he wasn't stick thin. Graying hairs started along the crown of his skull, and a small bald spot was visible through his thin hair. The man sighed.

"Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you," he drawled out, and his onyx eyes flickered to the glass.

"Why not?" Black Canary started, crossing one leg over the other.

"Because I don't have a reason to tell you heroes anything," he said again, though it was much more venomous than his last monotonous comment.

"Because you're a criminal?" the blonde asked.

"Because I don't _care_ ," he spat.

She raised an eyebrow. "Do you or do you not have a connection with your attacker?"

The man's face paled slightly and his eyes flickered unconsciously. His hands twitched - he looked scared for a second. "I don't know what you mean by attacker," he said slowly, but the fear was evident in his actions.

Black Canary sighed. "Then what about the other victims?" she asked again. Wally noticed how vague she was being, and he realized that she was playing with him, trying to get him to slip up or mention some detail that would seem unimportant on the surface when revealing it, but digging deeper would disclose what was going on.

"What about them?" he asked again, frustration continuing to wear him down.

Black Canary's eyes narrowed into a glare, and the man flinched at the pure anger radiating off of her. "What do you and the other victims have in common?" she ground out, placing her hands on the table.

The man gulped.

"I-I have no idea what you're talking about. I've never heard of them before in my life."

The hero stared at the sweating man for a second before she sighed. She abruptly signaled to the people standing outside the door. Her voice was icy when she spoke.

"Next."

0o0o0o0

The next was a man around his mid-thirties with a permanent frown on his face. Nothing.

Then an older woman with wrinkles surrounding her dark eyes. She didn't even open her mouth.

Afterwards, another woman, although she was younger, and she burst into tears, refusing to say anything between hiccups.

It continued just like that. Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing.

Until the twenty-seventh victim entered.

0o0o0o0

(Warning: Cussing ahead. Oops.)

Wally knew immediately that when the last person came in to be interrogated, something was different. They had made no progress with the others, and some of them refused to talk at all. But this one seemed different. He seemed... lofty. Excited.

Sadistic.

It seemed as if he wasn't all quite there, like a part of himself was gone.

He sprawled back in the chair, his clean-shaven face pale. Dark mangy hair was matted against his forehead, but he was grinning lazily, not seeming to mind the handcuffs that were placed on him.

Black Canary started the interrogation immediately.

"Did you and the other victims have some sort of relation linking each other together?" she asked, her voice hard.

The man grinned and peered up at her from behind his glasses. "And if we did? Why does that matter?" he shot back, and Black Canary was momentarily surprised that he was asking questions back at her.

"Why did your attacker want you twenty-seven specifically?" she asked, answering his question with her own.

He laughed. It sounded haunted, and the tears that were leaking from the corners of his eyes set Wally on edge. He wasn't sure if this man had his head screwed on right.

His laughs calmed down into small chuckles, and he didn't seem to be aware that he was crying. "We f*cked up, that's why," he growled, and he reached his arms around his stomach as he gasped for breath between spouses of laughter. "We f*cked up big time. We f*cked up so bad, I'm surprised we're even alive right now. I'm surprised I'm even alive right now. Screw the others, _I_ f*cked up enormously. _I_ f*cked up _everything_."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Black Canary asked, overwhelmed with the amount of curses and information they were getting compared to the others.

He merely laughed though, laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed until there was nothing left of him. His sanity was obviously deteriorating, but the last thing that he said sent chills down Wally's spine as he watched the criminal degrade himself into nothingness.

"They're coming, and then we'll _all_ be f*cked up."

0o0o0o0

It was quiet as Batgirl sat next to Wally. The two of them had watched the interrogations go on from the start, and after five hours of questioning and gruesome tactics of back-and-forth lies and truths, they were exhausted. It was early afternoon, and Wally was hungry.

Batgirl seemed to notice his lack of food intake, because she sighed, stood up and dragged the speedster over to the kitchen. M'gann was already there, cooking away. After the assistance and helpful explanations from Zatanna and Artemis, she was getting better at the whole idea of making meals for the team. Honestly, Wally couldn't care less how it tasted, food was food, but he appreciated the hard work the martian put into her hobby; although, it was nice to eat meals that weren't overcooked.

Taking one glance at their tired expressions, she realized that their expedition for more answers wasn't going in the best of directions, and hearing Wally's stomach growl was enough indication to set two bowls of warm soup in front of the two.

Batgirl ate slowly and silently; Wally, not so much. The pair did feel better after getting something in their stomach, however, and the bags under their eyes seem to lighten ever so slightly.

The bat's partner sighed before pushing an empty bowl in front of her. She muttered a small thanks to M'gann who took her bowl away, refilling Wally's for the third time. He quickly gulped that one down too, and the two sighed in contentment before standing up simultaneously, although Wally was faster.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to continue our investigation. I'll be with Batman if you need me," Batgirl said, not really sure if he was talking to M'gann or Wally, but when the other redhead started to follow after her, she realized that the comment was somewhat useless. M'gann would hang out with Conner, and she didn't see the need to get anywhere near her mentor. And Wally, well, Wally was following her already, wasn't he?

But neither of the two mentioned the stupidity of the comment, and she was glad for that.

"So," Wally started, shoving an energy bar down his throat that he snuck before he left the room. "Do you believe my hypothesis now on a mysterious attacker?"

Batgirl sighed for the umpteenth that day, but this time, it was more playful. "Yeah yeah, I get it. The victims responded negatively to the thought of an aggressor; so _yes_ , it's probably true that there was someone who attacked them with their controlling powers over the birds. You were right, I was wrong. Sheesh," she said, using an overdramatic flair in her admittance. "What are you going to try to get me to admit now, that you're more awesome than me?" she said in a nasally voice, posing with her hip out as a petty high school girl.

Wally laughed. "I dunno, can you?" he taunted.

Batgirl scoffed. "And have your uncle constantly pester Batman and never let him let it down? No thanks, I'd rather not have a grumpy bat on my tail," she said.

Wally snorted. "Grumpy bat? You do realize that every time I see Batman from now on, the only thing I'll be seeing is Grumpy Cat in a Batman costume saying, "I'm too lazy to move", "the world doesn't deserve my sarcastic comments", or "go to hell." Thanks a lot, Bats," he said, laughing at the thought.

Batgirl chuckled. "But just think of the resemblance!"

The two teenagers took that moment to think of Grumpy Cat and Batman.

"We're never going to take Batman seriously ever again, even during the most serious of missions, are we?"

"Probably not."

0o0o0o0

The darkness settled around the city. Shadows leered around every corner, shuddering in the cold wind as the bright lights belonging to street lamps popped up, like sprouts of hope before the sadistic despair came to crush it under its foot. The silhouettes of the shade festered and thrived, their icy grip seizing the ones left behind; the defeated, the demoralized, the damned, the dead.

The sounds of tires running on cement started to dim as more people ran from the terrors, but the faint sound of rubber escaping the streets soaked in blood was prominent to their ears. The notes of rain pattering onto the city were delicate and precious, but the average person overlooked every drop; overlooking the tears of the sky as it wept the souls of the murdered, and the showers of pain and sorrow ended with a dark 'pitter' as the droplets collapsed onto the surfaces of the city.

Each soul cried out, desperate to be heard, but it was gone as soon as it came, leaving the urban expanse to wilt under the depression and mewls for the safe cocoon of faith. There were thousands of them, hundreds of thousands of them falling, descending from the clouded sky.

The melancholy ache of the rain washed away the blood and sparks of hatred that climbed high in the sky any other night. The city was instead filled to the brim with misery and the hanging fog of fear that clung to the air, lapping gently at the bare skin of people who were running in the night; it hid the desperation of the weak as they walked the bare streets of the urbanized area with their heads down, thin frames and burnt hands fiercely smoldering in the agonizing relief that came with the night.

Frost nipped at the forlorn and the broken, a reminder of the blistering cold that sunk into the skin of the poor, leaving them shivering in angst and the icy prompter that left tears frozen in their tracks.

Footsteps echoed throughout the empty alleyway. All the suffering torment was taken in with a blank glance of the figure as they climbed up the fire escape and onto the apartment building. The clouds started to clear up, and with it, so did the hesitance for savagery, and before long, the sounds of gunshots ricocheting throughout the city was heard as vengeance was unleashed. The figure didn't seem all that bothered by the brutality that was going on at the moment, deciding that the sky was a better companion.

The vivid stars were stark against the night sky, the contrast causing illusions to appear between them, like the lights were glittering and chasing one another in the dark, giggling and chirping along the way, but also fighting against the hold of the gloom. But suddenly, the stars weren't struggling against the embrace of the blackness of night to reach one another.

The stars scraped against the dark folds of nightfall.

They were being raked from the sky, pain and shivers forced upon all those who gazed upon the sight, and then they weren't scraping or dragging or raking or yanking. They were bleeding, their luminosity draining with their blood as they dripped down the canvas of the despair of night.

The figure stood on the building, puddles formed around them in the depressions in the ceiling, and they stood rigidly, thinking. They remained still, like one movement would be their demise. But this was Gotham; movement meant attracting attention, and that meant danger.

"The plan failed," they whispered to themselves, "but that's okay. There's a reason backup plans are made." They looked down to see an oblivious teenager walk down the street, brown hair spiked up in what they recognized as bed hair.

They sighed again, but it sounded muffled behind their mask. "I really didn't want to have to do this."

The smirk ever present on their face said otherwise.


	8. Chapter 8

Wally still felt pain, even if his heart didn't beat. It was a weird phenomenon, really, and both Wally and his uncle, Barry, were totally blown out of the water when it came to how Wally's body reacted. He still thought just fine — even if they were slightly darker since dying — and he breathed normally, and he still needed to eat. It was as if everything about him was normal, just that he was always cold to touch, his face paler, and, the biggest one, his heart wouldn't start.

Being that the speedsters relied heavily on science and whatnot, it was hard for the both of them to configure their lives around the lack of logic that surrounded Wally.

But suddenly, the teenage speedster wished he didn't feel anything like he was supposed to — because that meant not feeling pain.

He and Zatanna were paired up alongside Aqualad and Red Arrow, trying to fight against the many guards that were blocking the building. The others were all inside, assisting Batgirl as she hacked into the mainframe of the building, downloading all the information needed.

Between his speed, the magician's spells, their leader's control over electricity and water, and Red Arrow's red arrows, they managed to take all of them out, and by then the other half of the Team left the building, Miss Martian holding up a bruised and unconscious Artemis with her telekinesis.

"What happened?" Kid Flash accidentally asked out loud, reaching the blonde archer's side in an instant. He looked down worriedly at her battered form, but Batgirl was quick to console his doubts.

"She's fine. She got knocked around a bit, but she'll be up and shooting by tomorrow." Her voice was soft, and she was putting pressure on a wound on her arm, trying to stop the bleeding from a deep cut.

The speedster sighed and nodded, before taking the back of the group as the Team decided to move forwards. He wasn't quite sure when it happened. He was supposed to be the fastest out of all of them, so he didn't know why he didn't catch it. Perhaps he was too distracted. Maybe he was just having a rough day.

All he knew was that it hurt. There wasn't any noise — he assumed that the person who did the act had come prepared. None of the Team noticed it. He felt hurt that they didn't, even though he tried to tell himself otherwise. They couldn't have noticed it — right?

He walked several more steps, his breathing hitching slightly, but no one seemed to notice that he was lagging behind. He saw it, from the corner of his eye; it was a note, descending from the sky, but his eyesight was getting too blurry to see what was written on it, though he noticed the fancy scrawl belonging to someone's handwriting. It fluttered next to his foot, and he tried to step forward, but his leg wasn't responding to him.

So he just stood there.

The blood rushed in his ears, and everything grew muffled as his ears rung uncomfortably.

He watched as Miss Martian looked shocked, but she just smiled when Artemis suddenly woke up. Everyone on the team was making sure she was alright, crowding around her and placing their hands on her shoulder for comfort. Well, all but Red Arrow. And then he watched her mouth move. She looked worried at first, and her gaze scanned the area until it landed on him.

Blood was filling his mouth, and he felt it drip out of the corner of his mouth. He coughed — it was sudden, forcing his lungs to work in a burning wave of pain, and he watched as the rest of the Team's heads turned towards where he was after Artemis silently called out his name.

It _hurt_. He didn't know exactly how it happened, but it hurt.

He was pretty sure he just got shot.

He looked down at the note down by his foot. He swore he could make out the words, but he didn't have time to read them, because then he was falling, unconscious before he even hit the ground.

0o0o0o0

Wally's hand twitched.

"-and who knows what will happen next? We have to do something-"

"Barry, calm down."

"Calm down? Calm down!? My nephew was shot in the heart, and you're asking me to calm down!?"

"Yes. We will make sure they are safe."

"And where is safe? Did you even read the note? _'Here's the first victim. I suggest, Justice League, that unless you want the rest of the Team to die, you watch your step. Because when they're gone, you'll be next. Oh, and just as forewarning: Don't keep them in the mountain. They're sitting ducks there.'_ Tell me, where on earth will you find somewhere safe?"

"Not on Earth. Here. At the Watchtower."

"You're insane."

"And you aren't?"

"..."

"Barry, we'll make sure no further harm comes to them. But in the meantime, you need to be here. For Wallace."

"He likes you, you know."

"What do you mean?"

"I _mean_ , even after the incident, he still likes you. Even if you're more harsh, more cold. You've always been a figure to him, almost fatherly in a way. You remind him of his own blood father, with the same attitude and all. But you mean everything you say in a good manner. His doesn't."

"You knew?"

"I've always known. But he won't leave his father. You know that. His heart, even if it won't beat, is too big for his own good. He still thinks he can see something in Ruddy... How is it that you knew?"

"He told me to keep it a secret from you."

"See? What did I tell you? He likes you."

"What are you getting at?"

"..."

"Allen, what are you trying to tell me?"

"Just... don't let him die. I can't always be there to save him. I can't let something like The Source event happen again. "

"I won't. I can't lose someone else, even if they're annoying as it is."

0o0o0o0

Wally groaned as he opened his eyes. It was too bright for his liking, and his eyes watered painfully. He blinked to get his eyesight to adjust before sitting up. A twinge in his chest made him falter, but before long he was sitting up, rubbing his irritated eyes. He made a small noise of pain, his legs also asleep, but he ignored it as he looked through squinted eyes around his room.

His team stared back at him quietly.

He scoffed. "Thanks for helping me up," he grumbled, before smiling. "Aww, you guys really do care! Who knew?" The comment was mostly for Artemis and Conner, who both weren't on the best of terms with the speedster. The entire team looked apprehensive, until his small joke.

Roy snorted and shook his head. "You and your mouth, idiot."

Artemis grinned back at him, ready for the challenge. "Like I would ever stay in the same room as you for this long on my own account. Your mentor freaked out and made us your bodyguards. I think he was a little high on anxiety at the time."

Wally laughed, but it was cut off by a sudden rush of pain when he did. "Ugh, that hurts like crap."

The rest of the Team fell silent at this.

"Wally?" M'gann started.

He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, sweet cheeks?"

She opened her mouth again, like she wanted to speak, but nothing came out. Batgirl took over for her.

"Your heart wasn't beating," she said bluntly, and he could see her eyes narrowing.

His blood ran cold. Well, colder. He smiled, though it was lopsided. "Well, I guess that can happen when you get shot in the heart." Now how did he know he got shot in the heart again?

"You were breathing just fine."

 _Dang it._

"And you woke up several times. You were totally out of it. But you were alive. You were living for an hour without your heart beating. And don't even say that it's a speedster thing. I asked your uncle. It isn't."

Conner joined the conversation. "I've never really taken notice to it before, but I haven't ever heard your heartbeat either. I usually put it off to the side before, but now I can't. It still isn't."

Wally's smile faded. He tried to keep it up, really, he did. Roy's hand came, and although hesitant, he placed it on the speedster's shoulder.

Wally remained silent.

He didn't know if they were expecting him to say anything. He couldn't. He always imagined what would happen if they figured it out, but he never prepared himself. Never. His mouth was set in a grim line.

There was silence, and it was awkward. He should've said something, right? He had to say it. Explain to the Team what happened. Explain the event. Explain The Source.

Explain Robin.

"I can tell them if you want," came Roy's voice. It was soft, softer than anyone had heard it before.

Wally didn't say anything. He just stared at his hands that were sitting in his lap. He stared at the skin, so pale and cold. Blue veins were visible underneath the skin, so bright and and stark. He felt the skirting presence of M'gann sensing his emotions, what was on his mind. Did she want to help him? Or did she simply want answers?

Wally didn't think of anything though. It was blank, quiet, abnormal. There was dirt underneath his fingernails. Even a bit of blood.

Blood.

 _"Don't drop me," Robin said. It was a habit; they always started their little "missions" like this. Wally knew that those were the words his mother said to his father before they..._

 _"I'd never," he responded, his voice light and cheery. His voice was higher pitched — he was barely thirteen now — and it always got to him, since his friends all made fun of him because he hadn't gone through puberty yet._

 _They walked towards their mentors, and the bird flashed him a grin. Batman and the Flash met them halfway, a grin on the older speedster's face and a ghost of a smile on the bat's._

 _"Hey you two!" Flash started, ruffing Kid Flash's hair._

 _Kid Flash batted his uncle's hand away playfully. "Hey Uncle. We heard about the testing room in the back. Can we check it out?" he asked._

 _Flash smiled. "Sure, but be careful. Of course, it'll probably be just fine, boring even, but still. There might be some extra experiments that we overlooked that could give you a couple bruises here and there."_

 _Robin raised an eyebrow. "Just a couple bruises? And here I thought that if something happened, it would be more dangerous, like a full out brawl," he said sarcastically. He knew that their mentors were too overprotective to let them get into an actual fight._

 _Flash laughed anyways. "You're too young for full-on fights anyways. Maybe someday, though I'm sure that we'll be spying on you to make sure you're alright."_

 _The two younger heroes rolled their eyes and huffed. "You give us no confidence. What's the worst that could happen?" Robin asked._

 _"A lot of things," Batman responded._

 _Robin smiled. "Okay, okay, you have my permission to stalk us. Sure. Whatever you want. In the meantime, I'm going to go into the scary back room. If it explodes, I'm blaming you," he joked, and moved past the two mentors. Kid Flash followed shortly afterwards, and the two chattered aimlessly until they reached the room mentioned._

 _Walking through the automatic doorway, Robin had to scour for the light switch after the door closed shut behind them. Even with the lights turned on, however, it was still dark._

 _The room had three levels — the first imitated a small balcony, with barely enough room for the controls that were placed in front and the stairs placed on either side to lead down to the second level. The second served as a viewing area, and it was only slightly farther out then the first with pillars holding up the ceiling. The third level was ground floor; it was huge, with plenty of space to view what was down below during experimentations._

 _It was slightly sickening._

 _Kid Flash looked around the room, and then to the controls at the front. Flash was right; the room was slightly boring. The only sounds were the whirring of controls in the background. Robin walked over to the controls and over the railing behind it. The room was empty._

 _Nothing happened._

 _"Well, this is anticlimactic," Kid Flash mused._

 _"Uh, Kid?"_

 _Kid Flash's blood ran cold._

 _"Yeah, Rob?"_

 _Why did he sound worried?_

 _He was about to add something else to his response when a blinding flash, well, blinded him, along with a booming rumble that resonated throughout the room. He instinctively protected his eyes with an arm to shield his sensitive eyesight. He heard it first — the ripping sounds of the machinery being pulled out from the ground, and then a yelp — and that was when the feeling of being tugged grew._

 _He looked ahead of him, and his face paled as he watched Robin slip off the edge; in a flash he had caught the ten year old's arm, holding onto the railing that was located behind the missing machinery, or rather, what little railing was left of it. His hair was flowing in front of him, and he looked down to the ground floor. A glowing_ something _took up the entire level, and it was creating air currents as a gravitational tug pulled the two boys closer._

 _Kid Flash looked ahead at Robin, and then behind him. He could faintly hear the sounds of someone pounding on the closed door, but what brought his attention was the translucent shield surrounding the perimeter of the room. There was no way he was breaking through that._

 _He looked back at the brunette he called a brother, his eyes wide with fear. He wanted to say something, anything to bring some kind of hope the younger hero. What was going on? All they did was walk into the room; none of this should have been happening._

 _Suddenly, two extremities from the blob of light at the bottom level arched towards them, holding the same brightness as its creator. Wally didn't feel anything at first when one hit him, the other at Robin; at least, nothing painful. It was a coolness that settled over his skin, seeping into the pores and deeper into his bones. It should've been freezing, but it wasn't — it was almost as if his unbearable reaction to icy temperatures was gone._

 _And then there was the agonizing scream of his friend._

 _Wally didn't have time to analyze what happened to him, because the railing snapped; the two were flung forward, and the speedster didn't have any time to comprehend it as he held Robin closer to him. They neared the second floor, and then his back hit one of the thick pillars holding the ceiling up; he scrabbled to get behind it, the younger vigilante beside him as he held his shoulders._

 _The railing hit the side of the pillar and then disappeared in the light of the source of all this mess. It sounded as if wind was blowing harshly, turning their cheeks red, when it was simply the pull of the source behind the pillar._

 _Tears were running behind Robin's face, and he let out a choked sob as he put pressure on the wound — if you could even call it that. Wally swore he heard childish laughter resonating throughout the room, and it sounded like several voices overlaying one another in a painful echo._

 _The first thing Wally noticed was the blood._

 _The second thing he noticed was the missing part of Robin's leg. It was nothing more than a thigh now — everything just above the knee and down was gone._

 _He yowled as the blood crawled up Wally's uniform, whimpering at the excruciating pain._

 _Robin rested his forehead on the speedster's shoulder, his shoulders shaking. Wally rested his hands on the young birds's shoulders, keeping him in place as the pull continued to tug at them while attempting to calm his friend down._

 _"It hurts," he managed to choke out. "It hurts so so bad, Wally. So much you wouldn't even be able to imagine it," he sobbed, gripping onto Wally's arms tightly._

 _Wally thought the comment was damningly on point, because at that moment, he couldn't feel anything. It was so cold, so freaking cold. He couldn't feel anything in his fingers, or the grasp that Robin had on his arms; he couldn't even feel the pull on his legs anymore._

 _"Wally?" Robin choked out. The younger boy was looking at him, his pain-filled face looking at him worriedly. It reached his ears, but he didn't comprehend them._

 _He felt himself slide over to the side. He opened his mouth, but his throat felt like sandpaper — nothing was coming out._

 _"No," the brunette whispered. "No!" he wailed, holding onto the redhead's shoulders, his face scrunched up in agonizing despair; it was an inhuman screech that hurt Wally's ears as tears were flung faster down his pale face. "No!" he yelled again, though his voice was hoarse._

 _Thump. Thump._

 _Wally was barely breathing; he could tell, through his limited intake of his surroundings, that he was dying. That he would be die behind this pillar. Unless..._

 _"Rob," he croaked, and he felt his sandpaper-like throat clench in the pain of speaking. "You have to throw me in-" He coughed repulsively. "You have to throw me in there. It's the only way to stop it," he wheezed. That was logical, right?_

 _Thump. Thump._

 _Robin just stared at him, arms shaking. His face was pale — paler than he had ever seen it, even that one time when he was shot. He closed his eyes, jaw clenched. And then he exhaled slowly._

 _He had enough. He knew that when Robin started to scream at the ceiling, so dark and out of reach, started berating the world, the world that couldn't hear him, that he had had enough._

 _"Take my leg, take my arm, you can even take my life!" He started to choke on the pain that was overriding his senses. "But let Wally live! GODDAMMIT JUST SAVE HIM!"_

 _The speedster didn't know how it happened — it wasn't luck. Perhaps karma, but karma wasn't cruel and unforgiving. What comes around, goes around._

 _Thump. Thump._

 _So what did he do to deserve it?_

 _The voice from earlier came about, and Wally nearly died from hearing it, let alone its meaning. His blood turned icy cold, and his breath hitched slightly, and he struggled to take a breath back in._

 _"My my, I believe that's a fair deal," it said in its many many voices, taking the tone of a child._

 _Robin cried out in agony, and he placed a hand on the shoulder of his other arm. Blood spattered from beneath his gloved hands, and it dripped down the lithe fingers and onto the ground. Wally, due to the position he was in, couldn't see what had happened, what had been taken this time, but he could tell it hurt._

 _Thump. Thump._

 _Cubes of energy appeared beside the two of them, some of them red, but most of them black. The midnight-colored ones disappeared behind the pillar, going off towards the source while the red ones soaked in through Wally's suit and near his heart. The numbing senses went away, but it was still frigid. His throat felt less like sandpaper, but it was still dry and scratchy._

 _Robin moaned in pain, tears falling faster down his face as he hiccuped._

 _Wally suddenly felt like he was off of death's doorstep._

 _Because of Robin._

 _All because of him._

 _Thump. Thump._

 _"Dammit," he cursed under his breath, the word rasped and fuzzy-sounding with the gusts overpowering most of the noise, and Robin looked up at him._

 _Wally thought that that was then when the ten year old realized it. It didn't matter if they both escaped whatever the heck experiment_ that _was — the effects of the blood loss was too dire. They both had been subjected to too much trauma._

 _The light shone on Robin's drained face, and it flickered before growing brighter. A hiccup in the wind sent Wally into a split-second delirium before it continued in a harsher force. Robin's hair flitted around his slender face, like a dark halo. Wally was suddenly struck with a quick, fleeting revelation._

 _He never saw Robin's eyes._

 _Robin did the worst thing he could in that moment. It was just a small movement, a silent motion, a little present of faith that was passed over to Wally. So small, in fact, that Wally almost missed it in the cold, unwelcoming hands of death that enveloped both of them, and by the time he did notice the action, it was too late to feel reassured._

 _Robin had smiled._

 _A sudden boom made Wally flinch, and the wind and light flickered again. The pillar they were concealing behind cracked and fell towards the light. Their hiding spot gone, Wally just managed to grab onto the cracked foundation of what little was left of the pillar._

 _Robin wasn't so lucky._

 _"He's mine now~" the voice said again._

 _Wally hesitated, but it wasn't a long pause before the message came across to him. He let go of his foundation, and had barely any time to rush forwards. The pull helped his speed, and everything slowed down for a second._

 _Thump._

 _Robin was floating, and it almost looked like he was ready to fly. The redheaded speedster noticed the thick droplets of his tears floating upwards, gentle and gleaming in the bright lights._

 _But then the second was over, and Robin was descending._

 _Wally reached out and grabbed his hand, but the extremity was frail, weak. He didn't understand what happened, it was as if this thing defied Mother Nature herself. He didn't even know if it was the fact that he gripped it too tightly, or if it wasn't his fault at all._

 _The minute Wally's hand was clasped around Robin's own, it shattered — he couldn't describe it in any other way — and the rest of his arm started to unravel in seconds, following with most of his body. There was no blood this time; just the tearing of his small frame._

 _Wally fumbled. The whites of Robin's mask widened in horror, and his lips parted slightly as parts of his shoulders started to chip away. Wally almost fell off the edge, but managed to catch himself just in time._

 _He wasn't proud of himself for that._

 _Sure that the other was safe, the whites softened back into their normal size. His lips turned upwards, just slightly, into a smile. His face was so relaxed, and Wally watched in silent horror._

"Don't drop me."

"I'd never."

 _What was he thinking about, just then?_

 _Thump._

 _He disappeared in a blinding flash of light._

 _A sound that could be compared to the crack of a whip resounded throughout the room. The wind was gone. He heard the barrier fracture and shatter, and then there were voices. Pained ones. Blood covered almost the entirety of his suit. His mouth was open as he stared at the ground level._

 _He fell to his knees. Tears started to make their way down his face. A heavy hand was placed on his shoulder, and he could faintly hear the deep voice of Robin's mentor, the tone laced with distress._

 _He was gone._

 _T̵͙̹͝h̵̖̟̅u̵͇͎͛m̸̻̆̽p̵̣̂̈́._

 _An agonized scream ripped through the heavy silence._

Wally stared at his blue, obvious veins. They were there, some on each arm, on each leg.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed, pulling the covers off of him. He stood up, grabbing his sweater from the edge of the bed. He noticed the bandages that covered his chest. Suddenly, the pain seemed minimal.

His gaze was blank as he left the room.

He wandered the halls of the Watchtower, eventually finding himself in the room where they placed holograms for the deceased heroes. He made his way towards the end; they had designated a spot just for Robin, as the youngest and first sidekick/partner, and any other younger heroes who died (which would hopefully not occur).

His death was a sudden slap in the face.

He looked up at the small frame of the hero. They had him grinning his cheshire smile while holding up his signature peace sign. It was the only hero in the bunch that didn't look serious, and he was glad that they didn't do the same for Robin.

He sat down by the pedestal that was below the hologram. Placing his hand on the nameplate, he ran his fingers over the name that was carved into the thin metallic surface.

Death by The Source. That was what they called it — a source of pure power that sucked up everything until it got enough of the life force it needed, or wanted. It hadn't appeared since it happened. The silence from it was unnerving.

Wally glanced back up at the hologram.

Who lost more in that day?

His best friend had given up his leg, and something else — it didn't matter how many times he had the dream, he still didn't know what Robin had given up to uphold the deal.

And what did Wally lose?

His best friend. His heart. His only light in his hellish life.

All they did was go into a room. That was all they had to do, and suddenly, Wally wasn't surprised that their mentors were so hesitant to let them found their own team. Them, against the world? Solving problems, helping people, fighting alongside the League?

Suddenly, he was scared for his other teammates. Would they end up like him?

The indentations in the name plate were thick and bolded in a plain font.

 _Robin._

 **Owl: Man! That was hard to write...**

 **I've probably got a few guns against my head now. But that's alright! Sacrifices must be made, am I right?**

 **Oh. I just realized how bad that sounded out loud.**

 **Wally: You've noticed that just now?**

 **Owl: Hey! I created this version of you, don't go messing with me now!**

 **Wally: Did you create me? Yes. Did you also totally ruin everything about me and make me way too OOC? Yes.**

 **Owl: *animated tears running down face* I tried alright! I'm not used to writing stupid characters!**

 **Wally: Who're you calling stupid!?**

 ***intermission***

 ***lots of bleeping***

 ***is that blood?***

 ***oh crap that's a chainsaw***


	9. Chapter 9

**I would like to apologize for the lack of line breaks... I had them in the original content, but when copied and pasted, they got deleted. I fixed it now, but if anything's off, don't be shy to point them out, I will fix them!**

"Hey Wally," a female voice came from behind him. He was sitting on a couch, curled up into a ball, blankly staring at the wall. He didn't respond to the comment, and from the corner of his eye, he watched Batgirl turn from the edge of the couch to stand in front of him. He didn't move his gaze up at all, and kept his gaze on the inside of her cape.

He faintly heard her sigh. "I'm sorry, you know. About invading your personal information and all."

Wally remained silent, however, Batgirl didn't seem bothered and continued to half-heartedly explain.

"Roy told us about Robin. I had heard about him, being that he was the first protege of Batman, but I didn't realize how close the three of you were." A pause. "You know, I don't think of you any different. It explains all the missing pieces I couldn't comprehend of you. But you're still the same. You're..." She gestured to all of him. "Wally. There's no way else to describe your character. Just Wally. Always was, always will be."

The speedster glanced up tiredly at her darker eyes, and he sighed before patting the spot beside him on the couch. She seemed to hesitate before she sat down, and for a second, an awkward silence passed over them, before Batgirl broke it.

"What's it like?" Confused slightly, Wally turned his head in her direction and tilted it. She realized she needed to elaborate, and she added onto her sentence. "What's it like to be... How else could I say it other than dead?"

Wally looked at her for a second before smiling a sad, small smile. "It's kinda cold. You get used to it after a while, I think. But it's always weird, and it feels... different. Like instead of being a person with a constantly changing body, it feels as if my body is just some blood being held in by layers of skin. There's no flow, no movement." He tensed slightly. "No heartbeat." He swallowed thickly.

"I dunno. I still feel pain at times, but not being able to truly die... It's even more terrifying than the chance of dying all the time. Feeling the skin heal, feeling my body replace something new is always so refreshing, because it's _new_. I've never cut myself, but it's always refreshing to feel myself bleeding, because when I get the blood back, it's fresh; it's new, unlike some parts of my body which just feel like useless weight that I've lugged around for years and years and that have aged past the expiration date.

"And doing things, too, like running. I feel the muscles straining, my legs moving, but there isn't anything that's holding me back from going speeds that not even my uncle can achieve. But when I do go so fast, everything else is so much slower, and I can't do it. I feel everything that I can, but the emptiness of what I can't is so overwhelming that I have to let everything speed back up again to feel like I'm truly half-alive."

Wally sighed and fidgeted in his spot on the couch.

"I don't know how else to describe it."

Batgirl stared at him for a second before asking another question. "If you could have anything in the world, what would it be?" she asked, her voice just over a whisper.

Wally looked up at the ceiling. "To be warm. On the inside," Wally said quietly. "Who knows when my lack of heartbeat might come useful in the future? I just want to feel warm again. Is that too much to ask for?"

Batgirl didn't reply.

0o0o0o0

Wally hadn't left his spot on the couch, even after Batgirl talked to him. The redheaded bat served to the others as a mind to reside in while they held their conversation. Megan had Batgirl open her mind almost completely after promising she wouldn't pry. This allowed the others to hear everything that Wally had said while only speaking to one person.

Batgirl wasn't too happy about the whole ordeal. She was the best candidate, seeing that she knew Wally the most other than Roy, and it would seem a little off if Roy tried to help Wally though whatever he was going through. Not only that, she was probably the best at finding the answers that they were looking for, and she could do it subtly.

Didn't make the situation any better though.

"That's so sad," Megan said as they entered an entirely different room. "I mean, going through all of that at such a young age, and then suffering after that? And all he wants is warmth..."

"It's f*cked up, that's what it is," Artemis said, throwing herself on the armchair heavily.

Batgirl didn't say anything and left the company to stay in the hallway for a breather. She was obviously shaken up slightly, and no one stopped her from leaving. Roy left shortly afterwards to endure Wally's company.

"I haven't even known Kid Flash for long, but that's so messed up. He seemed so happy... It didn't even occur to me that he had some bad history," Rocket confessed to Aqualad, and the Atlantian nodded.

"For one, I had not suspected anything either, and Kid Flash had been one of the founding members of this team alongside myself. You should not be hard on yourself. If anyone, it should be me, as I have known him for a very long time and I overlooked the fact on too many occasions," he responded. "But what is done is done. If Kid Flash does not want us in his private life, we will stay out of it." He raised his voice to the other teammates in the room. "That goes for all of us. Is that clear?"

Batgirl entered back into the room, her jaw set and her eyes hard. She answered for all of them.

"Crystal."

0o0o0o0

Wally looked around at his fellow teammates. They had mostly gotten over the awkwardness — although Artemis seemed guilty for all the times she called him an idiot — and now they were sitting in a spare room in the Watchtower.

When it was revealed that they were all required to stay there until they found who shot the speedster, there were many half-hearted complaints, mainly coming from the archers and Batgirl.

Those outbursts were ignored.

So here they were, totally bored and not allowed to do practically anything in fear that they would hurt themselves. This worried babysitting was mostly coming from Flash, seeing as his nephew was the one hurt, but that didn't change the fact that all their mentors were worried sick about their safety.

But that didn't mean that they were just going to sit around and do nothing. And when stuck in the Watchtower, that meant you walked around to see anything important. And that meant finding the meeting room as a conference was taking place. And that meant eavesdropping.

And that, ladies, gentlemen, agenders, transgenders, non-humans, genderqueers, genderfluids, demis, cises, snake demonesses with the titles of an assassin, and fangirls and fanboys who want nothing more than to just read fan fictions, we find ourselves in this current predicament. (I hope I didn't miss anything... O-o)

This predicament included the Team heading off towards the place that the League suspected of harboring the fugitive that shot Wally.

"This was an awful idea!" Zatanna said out loud.

"You think!?" Rocket exclaimed, flying out of the way of some bullets.

The gunman was suddenly knocked out by Superboy. Aqualad quickly appeared behind him. "Let us head back up through the elevator shafts. There are no other ways out; we must move quickly if we want to escape harm," the dark-skinned male said.

Red Arrow scowled at the thought of retreating, but he complied anyways — it wasn't as if he was going to go and stand up to all these enemies by himself. The Team, realizing that they wouldn't be able to get any info out of the failed mission, started to run towards their only escape route.

One the way, Superboy knocked out a few goons or two; their archers were perfectly happy to shoot a couple explosive arrows, while the others used their abilities to help them escape instead of going on an offensive approach.

Superboy bounded forwards and ripped the doors apart. The sounds of grinding metal filled the open space as Artemis and Roy covered their backs. Jumping through the newly made opening, Batgirl shot her grappling hook towards the ceiling. Kid Flash grabbed onto Batgirl's belt, while Rocket grabbed Aqualad. The two archers shot their own versions of grappling hooks through their arrows, and Miss Martian flew Superboy up.

Their escape plan was going relatively smoothly. It didn't last for long, however.

The two archers managed to make it to the landing, as did Batgirl and Kid Flash. Superboy and Miss Martian were next, and Rocket was on the lip of the landing when she was shot at, forcing her to drop Aqualad.

Immediately, Miss Martian floated upwards and over the elevator shaft, trying to use her telekinesis to stop him from falling. She was shot at, however, and almost didn't manage to stop him from hitting the ground.

 _"I don't think I can keep a hold of you any longer, Aqualad. I'm not sure that I would be able to lift you up to the platform, either,"_ Miss Martian said, and Kid Flash heard the strain in her voice.

 _"Miss Martian, I need for you to keep me out of the line of fire. Batgirl, Miss Martian has exhausted herself. Set out a line, and when I give the signal, Miss Martian will release her telekinetic hold on me. You will have to reel me in,"_ Aqualad said, ever so calm. _"Superboy, Zatanna, make sure that no one will be able to attack you from behind."_

 _"Huh,"_ Kid Flash thought into the link, and despite still feeling off-put from his death reveal, he had the urge to crack the obvious joke. _"Guess we're fishing now. How many points will we get if we catch an Aqualad?"_

Red Arrow rolled his eyes, as did Batgirl, though Kid Flash swore he saw a slight smile on his bat-friend's face.

 _"Hopefully, enough so that Batman won't strangle us,"_ Red Arrow answered. Batgirl snorted.

 _"Batman? Hell no. This time it'll be Wally's uncle that'll strangle us, and with our own entrails this time,"_ Batgirl thought.

 _"No real names during missions,"_ Rocket reminded them, and Batgirl pulled on the line as Aqualad grabbed it.

Within seconds, Aqualad was back onto the ledge. Miss Martian was breathing hard, and then she gasped. _"Zatanna and Superboy! They're both out of the mind link!"_

Batgirl immediately stood up and turned around, ready to run out the door, but someone was blocking it. Holding a rock of kryptonite in one hand and a gun in the other, the two bodies belonging to their unconscious teammates were dropped to the floor.

"Well well, the kiddie league is here to stop our deals, eh? How surprising," the man said, wearing a suit that looked overly protective all around his body except for the face, and Kid Flash was pretty sure that there were several hidden blasters in the thing.

The man had a scar on his cheek, and his eyes were a dark glint of fury. Two people, a man and a woman, stood beside him, one on each side. They weren't as well protected, but looking at them, it was obvious that the two had a lot of experience under their belts. More then them, at least. The man had dark skin and inky-black hair, and the woman was fair-skinned with auburn hair tied in a loose ponytail.

 _"Well, there goes the theory that he's your attacker, KF,"_ Red Arrow said.

"You can't go back down — you'll be shot down immediately. Can't go up either." Kid Flash was pretty sure he could grab both the gun and the kryptonite easily and throw them over the edge, but seeing two of their strongest teammates get easily knocked out put a bludger in his confidence. He didn't know what the man was capable of either, and he was still recovering from the bullet wound he received, although his team didn't know that.

"Guess you're stuck with fighting me. And if I can take out two of your allies without even a glance, then this'll be too easy." The man pointed his gun at Batgirl, and he smirked. "Bats first."

Kid Flash, just barely hesitating, pulled the redheaded bat down. The bullet hit the far wall with a clang, and the man growled as he threw a pellet at Miss Martian. The green-skinned female was already exhausted — against the gas, she didn't put up much of a fight.

The redheaded speedster cursed under his breath as the man started to fight against Aqualad with a pair of twin daggers. It was already crowded enough in the tiny ledge, and with the fight, there was barely any breathing room. The minute that someone slipped up, they would most likely be falling to their deaths. Rocket floated upwards to give the two as much space as possible as she attempted to shoot at the enemy — however, the close combat was too fast paced for her to effectively aim.

Both Red Arrow and Artemis were in combat with the other two enemies. They were losing, and even while teamed up with one another — a rare sight — they didn't have enough time to pull the arrows far enough with the needed accuracy.

Kid Flash looked down at Batgirl. "I'll help Ro- Red Arrow if you help Artemis," he offered, quickly correcting his mistake. The female nodded. "Sure, but I'll signal you if I think we should help Aqualad. As good as he is, I don't think he can handle him for long," she replied, and Kid Flash nodded in agreement.

In milliseconds he was gone, and he quickly ran to Red Arrow's side a few feet away. The archer had just drawn an arrow and shot it at his target, but it just barely missed the brunette, who easily dodged the airborne weapon. The man took notice to the redheaded speedster and went still for a second before he made a move.

The dark skinned male rushed forwards and swiftly pulled a dagger out of his belt, the blade glinting dangerously. He swung at Kid Flash, who easily ducked beneath the blow. Wally kicked the unknown male in the stomach, eliciting a grunt of pain from him, and Red Arrow followed up from behind with an attack to the man's head with his bow.

The man collapsed to his knees, but was quick to push himself back up into a comfortable crouch. He swiped his leg underneath the two redheads, making Red Arrow fall and Kid Flash stumble. The latter inhaled sharply in surprise, although he remained upright.

Already caught off-balance, the male then delivered a well-aimed uppercut to Kid Flash's chin, making Kid Flash falter backwards and onto his backside. Turning around, he swiftly kicked Red Arrow in the forehead as the archer tried to get back up.

The man's attention was brought to his female companion when she yelled in fury, and he started to bound in her direction. However, an arrow shot from Roy, who was still on his knees, forced him to turn around and face the archer. He threw the arrow in his hand, which he had caught, to the ground a ways away, the foam immediately reacting as the arrow tip made contact with the ground.

Kid Flash took this moment to feint left and then ran right to confuse the male as he appeared behind the man's unguarded back. He then delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to the man's side as he was still speeding past, and the speedster winced at his own hit. The dark-skinned male tumbled forwards, and, much to Kid Flash's annoyance, into a roll, deciding to go into the offense against Red Arrow instead of him.

Red Arrow was up by then and drew an arrow back and released it, the arrow whizzing past the male, grazing his arm as he evaded the shot. The male leaped forwards into an elegant front handspring, dodging yet another arrow that the archer shot.

Kid Flash was about to rush forwards when the female Artemis was battling and the blonde archer appeared in front of him, blocking his way. He also became the new target, and he cursed under his breath as he tried to escape the female's throwing knives.

Meanwhile, the male ducked beneath the swing of Roy's bow and kicked straight up, Red Arrow stumbling backwards a couple inches to evade the strike. Kid Flash, who finally managed to get back to the fight he belonged in, ran towards the male.

Unfortunately for him, the man used Roy's shoulders as a spring pad to jump farther back then he had been previously, giving him enough space between Red Arrow and him as he landed behind the running speedster. It almost caused Kid Flash to run into Roy.

The dark-haired male used the height of his fall to crouch down and leap into a swift tackle that was eerily similarly to the kinds used in American football against Kid Flash. The redheaded speedster hit the ground with a huff as the male leaped off of his back and vaulted towards Red Arrow. Arm pulled back, ready to punch the archer in the face, he was suddenly pulled to the ground when Kid Flash used his speed to grab onto his leg.

He fell face-first into the ground, and Red Arrow brought his bow down onto the man's skull — not quite hard enough to cause permanent damage, but enough to knock him out. The two redheads panted before Kid Flash gave Red Arrow a high five.

"One down, two to go," Kid Flash puffed, but a voice corrected him.

"I think you mean two down, one to go," Batgirl stated, her hands on her hips as Artemis stood beside her, breathing heavily with her hands on her knees. The female's body laid motionless to the side, her face still stretched into a scowl, even after being knocked unconscious.

" _I_ think that that girl was on her period," Artemis said breathlessly, and Batgirl snickered quietly.

"We should probably help Aqualad now," Kid Flash said, and Batgirl nodded.

"Red Arrow, Artemis, could you guys check on our unconscious teammates? I don't know what that guy threw at Miss M, but it could be much more dangerous than a simple knock-out gas," Batgirl said, and Artemis nodded. Red Arrow sighed lightly through his nose and jogged over with the blonde archer.

"Ready?" Batgirl asked Kid Flash as he stood up straighter.

"As ready as I'll ever be," he replied with a grin, and then backpedaled. "Wait, no, that's a lie. I could be better tomorrow when I'm still not-" Noticing Batgirl's look, he stopped rambling on. "Yeah, I'm good. Cliché's good too."

She shook her head and then started to run into the battle, and Kid Flash saw Miss Martian awakening from the corner of his eye. Was it just him, or was Miss Martian getting super exhausted recently? Pushing the thought to the back of his mind, he quickly moved Aqualad out of the way of a blast from the big guy's gun — Wally decided to call him, from then on, "Blaster" — and he looked over the Atlantian in slight concern. Even with his thicker skin, he was still battered.

That was not a good sign.

"You okay?" he asked the tired teen. Aqualad nodded.

"I am alright my friend. Thank you for running me out of the way," he said, as polite as ever. Kid Flash simply grinned.

"Hey, it's the only thing I'm good for, other than eating," he joked, and Aqualad was about to respond when he heard a yelp from a feminine voice. Whipping his head around so fast he though he was going to have whiplash, he stared wide-eyed as Blaster held up Batgirl by the front of her uniform.

"We should probably get back to the battle," Kid Flash said, worry evident in his voice.

Aqualad nodded, drawing his water bearers back out. "Indeed."

At the confirmation, Kid Flash zoomed towards Blaster, punching him in the jaw. He lurched backwards at the impact and released Batgirl in the process, who Kid Flash caught and placed on the floor. Aqualad rushed past him and swung his swords at the older man, who rolled over to the side to avoid getting hurt.

Rolling to his feet, he snarled and the arm of his suit transformed, a tube separating from the meat of his arm as it glowed, ready to shoot.

Suddenly, the name "Blaster" really fit.

Kid Flash pulled Aqualad out of the way of the large-range shot, Batgirl already moving herself.

"This is not good," Batgirl grumbled, and Kid Flash made a weak attempt to laugh, which sounded hollow and lifeless.

"No, it's not asterous," he said to himself, and the redheaded bat sent him a quizzical look, which Kid Flash ignored. He quickly stood up and ran around to the other side of the man, hoping against hope that he wouldn't aim for his friends.

Of course, he didn't actually take into account that perhaps he should have been more worried about his own safety.

Blaster threw a hard punch into his shoulder, which caught him off guard. He felt the slight twinge of a stitch being pulled before he fell face-first into the ground. He groaned at his own stupidity, wondering why he even bothered to go on the mission even though he knew he was injured, and pushed himself over onto his back.

The barrel of a gun was shoved in his face.

The man was smirking, and he had a droplet of blood rolling down his chin from a severely busted lip caused by Kid Flash's punch. His teeth, all straight and slightly sharp, were gleaming in the dim lights. His dark eyes shone like hot coals in a fire. Kid Flash could practically feel the hatred coming off in waves of the tall man as he sneered.

"They say that speedsters have healing abilities. I wonder," he started, his words laced with venom as he cocked the pistol, "if it can save you with a bullet in your brain."

Kid Flash froze. He didn't mean to, but the gun was just so close to him; it froze his nerves and he felt the icy darkness start to seep back into his body as his memories resurfaced.

If he died, what would happen to his friends? He already failed one — was he destined to fail the rest?

Once again, he heard it first. It was a loud bang, one that rung in his ears uncomfortably. He heard shrieks and yells, of pain or surprise Kid Flash didn't want to know. His fingers vibrated against the floor as the building shook, and he felt the waves of heat emanating from the blast.

Looking to the side, Kid Flash was slack-jawed as Blaster commentated what just happened.

"Someone blew a f*cking bomb," he growled, and Kid Flash took that moment to get out of the line of fire. However, the man didn't seem to care as his female minion came to his side.

Fury was held in her eyes, and she was dragging a still-unconscious male by the collar of his outfit.

"The damage is easily repairable. It only hit the entrance of the elevator opening, and most of the security had left. Only three were down on that floor, and only one was standing near the entrance. They're all replaceable anyways," she spoke, her eye red from the blood vessels breaking from her beating.

Blaster nodded, and was about to speak when a blast hit the female minion, and Kid Flash blinked in confusion when he saw Rocket floating in the air.

'Oh,' Kid Flash thought lamely. 'I totally forgot about her.'

The female growled in pain and pulled out a pistol from her pocket, though the weapon was lifted out of her hands and thrown over the edge. Black cords wrapped themselves around her body, and Kid Flash looked to the side to see Zatanna standing with her hand outward, a barely conscious Superboy and Miss Martian behind her.

Both archers had their bows drawn and aimed at Blaster, and, when realizing that he was backed into a corner, he laughed.

"I was hoping that I would get to this," he said, and he swiftly placed his hand on the suit of his other arm.

For a millisecond, nothing happened, and then Kid Flash felt a splitting pain in his shoulder where he got punched by Blaster. He fell back to his knees, and he curled up into a little ball as the pain strengthened, flowing through the rest of him. He ached to just die then, and he heard himself let out coughs of agony as it continued.

It felt like hot prinpicks of needles jabbing his soft skin over and over again, tearing the flesh apart and scraping deeper into it. It started to slowly pull at his muscles, like sandpaper against his soft organs, scratching the fragile membranes.

He whimpered, his arms shaking as he tried to stretch them out in front of him, trying to release the stinging. It failed, only further aggravating the sore muscles, and it felt like his bones were being slowly ground into fragments.

He let out another cry of pain as he curled his fists into his hand, and he heard several voices arguing.

"You f*cking b*stard! Stop it and I won't put a d*mn arrow in your head!"

"I'll stop it when you let me go."

The pain suddenly left him, and he gasped for breath as the weight was pulled off of his shoulders. His hands and legs felt like they were asleep as they twitched from the lack of pain, and Kid Flash took several deep breaths to ease his burning lungs.

His body, protesting any movement, felt like a pile of bricks. He could still feel the waves of shocks and pains running through him, and he bit back a groan as his leg flared up when he tried to move it. He laid there, panting, before pushing his arms beneath his body, pushing himself up.

His arms shook with the effort, and he could faintly feel someone helping him up. He winced when his feet touched the ground, and he looked to his side to see that Superboy was the one to help him up.

"Thanks," he breathed out, his throat burning from the attempt, though the clone heard it with his excellent hearing and he nodded.

"How cute," Blaster said, and Kid Flash winced at the loud, grating sound of his voice.

The man stood up straight and looked over at his two minions, looking at the both of them carefully. He seemed to decide that he didn't need them, much to the anger of the female, who cursed and yelled past her gag.

"I'll be going now," he said. "But I think I'll keep this thing on." He gestured to the device that controlled Kid Flash's torture device. "I wouldn't want you guys to follow me now, would-"

"Except you won't," came a new voice, deep and cold, and Kid Flash scrunched up his eyebrows in confusion. A throwing knife whizzed out of nowhere, hitting Blaster's hand, successfully keeping him from using any of the controls.

The owner of the voice came out from the shadows, and Kid Flash's jaw dropped when he recognized the plated kevlar suit as they surged forwards, landing several powerful blows with swift attacks. Kid Flash could barely keep up with the actions as Blaster continuously fumbled, and they released a rapid string of attacks that left Blaster near the edge of the platform.

"And might I add," they started, pausing their assault, "that voicing your actions before you do them is incredibly foolish, as is completely ignoring the fact that some unknown thing set off an explosion without exploring the evidence first as you flee."

The man panted and pulled himself into a pathetic stance as he forced his tired body to position itself, and he grit his teeth. "You're that b*stard that beats up anyone who lays a finger on your stupid speedster, aren't you? I've heard the rumors, you f*cking piece of sh*t. And I can only assume you're the one who blew up the lower floor," he snarled, and the tube of his blaster separated from his suit once again.

"What do you know, the man has a scrap of intelligence. I would congratulate you, but your vapid detective skills are unworthy of any praise," the person in the suit said, and the man's jaw clenched at the insult.

He raised his arm holding the blaster, and the tech glowed before discharging, the shot whizzing towards the newcomer. The person in the plated suit didn't seem bothered by the swift blast, and briskly pulled out a dagger out of nowhere, flicking the blade into the bright shot, effectively splitting it in half. The two cut energies hit the wall behind him, and they fizzed out.

Blaster paled as he realized that he had no advantages, and he continued to puff in exhaustion. "Y-you care about the speedster, right? You have to, y-you saved him all those times. You wouldn't kill me, not when I have the ability to cause him any more pain," the man said.

They tutted. "Really? And how, exactly, are you going to inflict any pain upon him if the only way to do so is through manual assault, requiring you to defeat me in the process?"

Blaster opened his mouth to refute the statement, about to point to the interface of his suit. He paused when he saw the small throwing knife embedded in it, destroying any capabilities of him doing any action that involved harming Kid Flash.

Seeing the hopelessness in his face, they shifted positions slightly, giving Kid Flash the slightest amount of time to look over them.

He passed his gaze over the suit several times, trying to memorize all the details. They were tall, not quite Batman or his uncle's height, but enough that he stood several inches above Kid Flash. He was less muscly and more lean, with long, powerful legs and, from what the speedster could tell, strong shoulders that allowed him to utilize his arms in different movements. Their shoulders were broad, but not so much that they interfered with his balance.

Faintly, something rung in the back of his head.

They rolled back and forth on the balls of their feet for a second before they leaped forwards, rapidly running circles around Blaster with their sharp blades. They were quick — nowhere near speedster levels, but faster than any other person on their team.

They changed the position of their blade in their hold, changing from a forward grip to a reverse one as they swiftly dealt blows to Blaster, ripping holes in his metal suit. The sounds of metal on metal continued until almost half the suit was destroyed, and Superboy started to tug on his arm.

Kid Flash looked to the side to see that his teammates had started to migrate away while he was caught up in the battle.

"We need to go," Superboy said. Kid Flash swallowed heavily and nodded, but kept on looking back at the two. Their progress was slow, because he was still slow from the moment of torture.

They had got halfway down the hall when Superboy asked if he wanted to be carried. Kid Flash was silent, and they heard the faint yell of pain from the room behind before he responded with a polite no.

 _"What's taking so long?"_ came Artemis' voice in their heads.

 _"Kid Flash refuses to be carried,"_ Superboy replied.

 _"KF, I get that you don't like being treated like a baby, but now's not the time for being stubborn,"_ Roy thought, and he swore he heard slight concern in his voice.

Kid Flash was about to respond when a hand was placed on his shoulder. He flinched, and Superboy whipped around, aiming a punch at whoever it was. _They_ caught it in their palm, and after a second, they released their hold on the brunette's fist.

Without asking, they pulled Kid Flash into their arms bridal style, in which the redhead yelped.

"I know when a kid's being stubborn, and I'm not going to deal with that today," he said. Superboy scowled behind him, but after a second, his face was schooled back into blankness, the slightest hint to a smile on his face as he followed the two.

After reaching the bioship, Miss Martian ran up to them. "Thank goodness you're... alright?..." she said, hesitating when she saw them holding onto Kid Flash, who's face was as red as a tomato.

"I swear, I didn't have a say in it!" he shouted, and they ignored him as they walked closer to the red ship.

"You know, you can set me down now," the speedster said, slightly concerned that the previously untouchable person was now holding him.

Of course, he probably should have known that the person wasn't actually being nice, rather, just wanted him alive and didn't want him to be stuck in a building where he was vulnerable and easily killable.

They dropped him, just like Kid Flash asked, and the speedster groaned at the impact as his back hit the ground.

"You need to learn a few things, like saving your own *ss. This is the third this month I've prevented you from seeing the afterlife, and I might just have to take a sick leave if it happens again soon," they said.

Kid Flash attempted to sit up. "Well, it's not as if I've asked you to save me all those times," he shot back, and Artemis decided to interrupt them at that moment as they slipped away.

"Wait wait wait, are you telling me that your "stalker guy" is f*cking _real_!?"


	10. Chapter 10

**:/ We're so close to chapter eleven... I'm not ready for it. Anyways, thanks for all your support, it's amazing! I never expected anyone to enjoy this crappy story. Also, filler chapter. Yay!**

 **Also, I would like to apologize for updating a day late. I had the chapter ready, but the site wouldn't let me upload it... They really need to fix all the bugs, but I won't complain.**

 **Puffers Aren't Just Duffers: I'm glad you're enjoying it. It's always good to see you reviewing, it always warms my heart. And yes, people not believing him is annoying, isn't it? Fun fact, I was only going to have Wally be the main character for the first five or so chapters, but then I really grew onto him. Everyone talks about Robin being a kid and underestimated in other fan fictions, but it occurred to be that Wally was underestimated simply because of his personality. It was fun to play with the idea of Wally's background, since in most other stories, Robin is there to comfort him all the time; so you don't really get to see much of Wally's angst. But I'm rambling. Like always. (I do it a LOT). Just enjoy the chapter (hopefully). :D**

"What you did was dangerous. We had given you strict rules to stay here, and yet you did not abide by them," Batman said, and the teenagers all looked abashed. "Kid Flash was still recovering," he added, and the speedster looked even more ashamed as he flinched, and he curled into himself from his position on the couch. "Not only did you pay little regard to his health, he managed to get severely hurt as well."

Roy opened his mouth to argue, for what reason Wally wasn't sure of, but the look Batman's face shut him up.

"It is true that you managed to infiltrate the building successfully. It is true that you acquired useful information. It is true that you did leave when you realized that you couldn't win the battle that ensued, and it is true that you left the roundup to the League, and it is true that, thanks to you, we managed to uncover the secret operations going underneath.

"However, you disobeyed simple orders, managed to hurt not one, but several of your teammates, and gave time for the rest of the managers in the organization to delete plenty of crucial data." His scowl deepened. "You are _incredibly_ lucky that Kid Flash's acquaintance was there to save you, otherwise, one of your founding members would have been stuck in a hellish torture session for an undetermined amount of time."

As Batman let it sink in further, Flash took over.

"Because of your actions, we'll be assigning someone to keep an eye on you for as long as you are in the Watchtower," he said, eerily calm. The older speedster freaked out when they went missing, and him and Wally had an hour-long talk in high speeds before Barry had finally taken a chill pill.

"What!?" Batgirl exclaimed, and her head shot up towards the two League members from her gaze on the floor.

"As Flash said," Batman replied. "We cannot risk anyone's safety."

"So you're babysitting us," Roy said, his scowl prominent.

"Yes," Flash said before Batman could.

"Not to be rude," Zatanna piped up, "but we know all of the League's members' weaknesses. Even if we aren't going to do it again, in order to efficiently provide enforcement, you would have to have several members constantly on guard; that would be damaging for League priorities, wouldn't it?" She raised an eyebrow, and Kid Flash stared at her in slight surprise, though the look faded quickly as he winced in pain from his sore abdomen.

Batman turned his attention back to her. "The League has decided to keep an eye on you. That doesn't mean that someone from the League is going to do it."

"You've got to be kidding me," Batgirl said, and after a second of silence, she continued. "There's no way you're just going to take someone who isn't in the League and show them the Watchtower just so you can babysit us," she argued.

"We can and we will. Clearly, you can't be trusted to make your own decisions," Flash responded. "We aren't going to let any of you die because of your lack of thought in your judgements."

Batgirl frowned and threw her hand out to the side, pointing aimlessly out the window and into the depths of space. "And what if the guy leaks the information? What then, you're going to let your number one base get ruined because you can't trust us?" she said, her voice raising.

"We won't let that happen," Flash said, and Batman gave her a warning glare. Her mouth snapped shut, but she was still scowling.

After that, the room fell silent, and the two League members left the room; the Team was left to stew in their anger. Aqualad was the first to recover.

"Kid Flash?" he asked quietly, and his teammates looked up in curiosity. The redhead blinked for a moment. His nerves were still on haywire from the abuse he had suffered, so he was put on speedster pain medication, which was just starting to kick in; and because of that, he was still a bit slow.

"Yeah?" he asked, and he was faintly aware that his words were slurred the slightest bit.

Aqualad looked into Wally's eyes, almost as if he was boring into his soul with his gray irises. "I would like to apologize for not coming to the realization that you were still recovering. I would not have put you in such a situation otherwise."

Wally blinked before he grinned. "Nah, don't worry about it. I'm fine." He yawned. "Just a little tired and messed up in the head is all," he said jokingly, and Raquel appeared beside him.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but something's been bugging me for a while," she said, and Wally smiled at her.

"Shoot. Wait, no, don't shoot. Just ask the question," he said, and Raquel smiled.

"Well," she rubbed the back of her neck. "How would I put this..."

Wally stared at her for a second, waiting patiently before it occurred to him that she probably needed some assistance. "Just ask it any plain way," he reassured. "I'm alright with whatever you ask me."

She looked at him, and laughed sheepishly. "Uh, are you invincible?" she asked, and Wally could practically hear the gears turning in Batgirl's head as the question registered.

"Nope," he said, popping the letter 'p'.

The girl blinked. "You're not?" she asked, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

Wally laughed. "God, I'm so high," he said, and he slapped his forehead as the female in front of him looked totally lost. He waved the comment off shortly after. "Yeah, no. I mean, if you were to cut my head off my shoulders or snap my neck," he swiped his hand around his neck to exemplify, "I wouldn't exactly have a connected brain to control all my little motor skills, now would I?"

Raquel's expression made her look like she was going to be sick.

Wally giggled again. "Of course, then again, I'm sure you're asking if I can die. The answer is that you can't kill someone who's already dead; you can eliminate any of my functions though, like-" he began loonily, and Roy took that moment to slap a hand over his mouth.

"How about this: you stop talking, and I'll lead you back to your room. We can do interrogation later, when you're not high off of medication," he growled, and Wally giggled behind his hand. Roy then suddenly ripped his hand off of Wally's mouth, his face disgusted. "You _licked_ my hand you little-"

"Ah ah ah," Wally interrupted. "No bad words." He brought a hand to cover his mouth in a whispering gesture. "You don't want to give the children any bad ideas," he whispered loudly as he pointed with his other hand to a disgruntled Conner.

Roy rolled his eyes and picked up the boy, who giggled. "Ooo! Piggyback rides. I love these," he slurred, and Roy clicked his tongue before setting him on his back.

"Come on drunko. Let's go."

"Drunko? Does that mean I'm an elephant?" Wally asked in a childish voice as he set his forehead on Roy's shoulder.

"An elephant?" Roy asked incredulously as he opened the door leading to the dorms.

"Yeah. Because drunko rhymes with Dumbo!" Wally said matter-of-factly, like it was an obvious connection that Roy should have made. The speedster then sighed happily. "I'd love to be a flying elephant," he said before the door closed behind him, leaving an awkward silence behind him.

"... Can we please record him like that? I need some new blackmail material."

0o0o0o0

 _"Don't drop me."_

 _"I'd never."_

Wally woke up, startled, his eyes wide and his fingers vibrating in anticipation.

Nothing.

The redhead stayed like that for a minute before he relaxed his posture and sighed in relief. He laid back on his bed, the mattress squeaking slightly under the sudden pressure. The softness of the pillows and covers were evident to him, and he could faintly smell the scent of soap in the bedroom he was in. The curtains were not drawn in his bedroom, and he looked to the side into the empty abyss of space, the stars bright enough that they looked like thick dots of white paint dotted in the sky.

He could barely remember what Robin looked like anymore, and even though he could see the images clearly in his dreams, they never seemed to make a lasting imprint on his memory when he was conscious. Small snippets of conversation would appear to him too, but his voice was long gone in them, replaced with what Wally knew was a terrible representation of what he might've sounded like.

He watched the stars glisten in the dark sky, and Wally rolled onto his side to get a better view of them without craning his neck.

 _"I like the stars."_

 _"Why's that?"_

 _"Because they're there for a really, really long time; they're always there to be your friend, and when the night ends, you know that they'll come back when the sun goes down. Most of them will be there for your entire life, from the day you're born to the day you close your eyes for the first time."_

 _"Most?"_

 _"Of course. Stars are the best company, but sometimes, we're unlucky to see one burn out in our lifetime."_

 _"That's not fair, if you consider them friends."_

 _"Well, we can't have everyone. Sometimes, it's just the brightest ones that count. Other times, it's the ones that you can't see that make the difference."_

Wally quietly slipped out of bed, his bare feet hitting the cold floor. He shivered, and his body protested him on his feet. He ignored his body's reactions and wrapped his arms around his torso for warmth — well, his version of warm. He could only imagine how his teammates were feeling about the chilly air with their bodies.

Walking up to the glass, he came inches from the barrier as he looked out and into the endless world outside of him. His gaze was a thousand years away before he noticed his reflection in the clear material, and he stared at himself. His eyes had large bags underneath them, and his body was pale; his freckles could almost be compared to the night sky — thousands of interruptions in the smooth, cream-colored skin — and they were spread by the dozens over what he could see of his face, neck and shoulders.

His gaze moved slightly left of himself as he saw a slight movement in the reflection, but he didn't move, even when he recognized the figure. Looking back out into the sky, he wrapped his arms tighter around himself.

"Hey buddy. What are you doing awake?" Barry asked him, stepping up so that he was standing just beside him.

Wally shrugged. "It's been a long day. I just needed some simple in my life."

Barry smiled before he too looked out into the sky. "Simple isn't the word I would use to describe this world of constellations and such, but if it works for you, I suppose I can let my opinion slide."

Wally's lips twitched up into a smile. "Well," his tone turned lighter, "I think you're right about the constellations part being complicated, but I meant the stars themselves."

Barry laughed lightly. "Hate to break it to you, but I don't think those are simple either," he said, and Wally rolled his eyes playfully.

"I give up on you," he said, and Barry's smile widened.

"You can give up on me, but you're not allowed to give up on sleep," he said, and Wally looked at him like he was crazy.

"Excuse me?" Wally said in mock hurt, his hand over his chest. "Are you accusing me of staying up late?"

Barry laughed. "I don't know, am I?"

The two speedsters laughed.

"But in all seriousness, I think you should get some rest. Don't tell Batman I said this, but we're letting you guys go for a couple hours tomorrow as long as you promise to behave. We decided to give you a little breathing room before we crush you with surveillance cameras and trip wires to make sure you don't escape. And I'm _sure_ you have lots to do," Barry said, and Wally laughed.

"Sounds like a plan. And why on Earth would you think I would tell Batman? Do you think I'm suicidal?" Wally joked, and Barry smiled.

"Just making sure. Now go to sleep, or else I'll call Iris to mother you into submission," Barry warned, and Wally rolled his eyes.

"Sure, sure. I'll be in bed in a minute," Wally relented, and Barry nodded.

"Sweet dreams," he called over his shoulder, and the man was gone in a blink of an eye.

Wally looked at the glass one last time, not sure if he was looking at himself or the outside world, and he crawled into his dreams once more.


	11. Chapter 11

**Warning: Some of the content in this chapter may trigger some people. Death, abuse, and terribly-written angst is down below.**

"Bruce Wayne has provided an excuse for you," Batman said. "If your father starts to yell at you for it, however, you are to come straight back here."

Wally nodded, but on the inside, his thoughts were scrambling, hoping he wasn't showing any cracks in his lies.

He had told the man that his father was an abuser. Wally had just barely summed up the courage to do it at his mother's request, but he had finally done it. Of course he didn't, however, correct the Leaguer when he assumed the speedster meant it verbally.

But that was fine by him.

Despite his uncle's warnings, he had had a restless night of sleep and was one of the last to wake up. It was long into the afternoon, and Wally had just shaken off another dose of medication. The rest of his team was already gone, accompanied by a League member each.

After Wally's moment of silence, Batman paused typing in the coordinates. "Are you sure you don't want me to escort you? Barry could even chaperone you," he offered, and Wally felt a twinge of happiness go through him at his consideration.

He shot a smile in Batman's direction. "Sorry, this is just a little too personal," he answered, and Batman nodded. The Leaguer handed him a thin, black device.

"If there is an emergency, just press the button inside. We'll arrive at the scene immediately," the man said, and Wally took the device gingerly before placing it in his jacket pocket.

"Thanks. I'll see you in a couple hours," Wally said before standing in the zeta tubes. The world around him flickered and disappeared before rearranging themselves into the familiar scenery of Central City.

Wally sighed in relief. It had been too long since he had been here. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he fingered the lighter-shaped device before he started walking out of the alleyway the zeta tube was tucked in.

He looked up into the sky, looking at the slight yellow tint that was visible on the horizon. The speedster shivered and zipped up the crimson-colored coat he was wearing, and he stepped out onto the sidewalk. Looking to each of his sides, he was made aware that he was alone in the bright street.

He released a shaky breath, half in relief that there was no one there, and half in fear of what was going to happen. He started heading home, telling himself that everything would be okay. And if it didn't, he could always run over to Gotham and bug the bats while they were out on patrol if Batman was in the mood to deal with him.

Speaking of the man, Wally had found it odd that Batman would ever ask him on his help on any of his cases. Batman could usually figure out everything, and even if he couldn't, he'd still do it alone. After some pestering, Batgirl finally revealed that the big bat was struggling with all his cases, not just the one he asked for Wally's help on.

After another hour of poking and prodding, and several punches to his face, Batgirl relented and told him that Agent A had a heart attack.

 _"Oh."_

 _"Just oh?"_

 _"I feel bad now."_

 _"Don't. Batman will be okay. Agent A is fine, just a little weak. It just really messed Bats up."_

... Perhaps bugging the Bats wouldn't be a good idea. Wally knew how much Agent A meant to Batman, especially after Robin disa-, no. Not disappeared.

After Robin died.

Biting his tongue, he forced himself to start walking home, before he paused and changed his direction.

Hospital first. Then home.

After double checking that no one was out on the street, he started to speed walk. Fast enough to make better progress, but not fast enough that his identity was in danger if he bumped into someone's view.

He paused when he turned the corner, aware that there were many more eyes on that particular street. It wasn't surprising — the hospital was well-known, and there were plenty of people who lived nearby to check on certain patients — and Wally was forced to slowed his pace.

He watched a boy, no older than seven, run past him, an older girl — he assumed a sibling — chasing after him as they both laughed. The girl caught up to him and picked the giggling boy into her arms.

"No running. You still have to finish your dinner," she scolded.

"But Dana!"

"No buts, Ryan. I will force those vegetables down your throat if I have to." The older girl pulled her brother back into the alleyway.

Wally let a small smile appear on his face before he walked out of earshot, crossing the practically empty street. A car whizzed past him as his feet hit the sidewalk, and Wally flinched as it came a little too close for comfort. A cold gust followed the speeding car, settling a deeper chill into his bones. He sighed before wrapping his arms around his body.

The sun was just starting to touch the edge of the horizon when Wally arrived at the hospital doors. He pushed the glass door open just enough so he could enter through, and the door closed behind him in seconds. He walked to the front of the desk, where the same receptionist sat. The man was in his mid-thirties with light brown hair, and the corner of his eyes crinkled slightly when he saw Wally.

"West," he acknowledged. "What brings you here after so long? I thought you had left for good."

Wally blinked. "Of course not," he said slowly. "I had some business to take care of that kept me from coming down here. I would never leave for more than possible."

The man cleared his throat. "I see. Well, I suppose that you would like to go to your mom's room now, right? She's in the same room, as always."

"Alright," Wally said, his voice layered with suspicion. He quickly made his way up the flights of stairs, almost bumping into several people, including a woman whose stomach was slightly swelled.

Soon, he was greeted by the bolded numbers 342, which were nailed to the side of the doorframe. He was panting, but he calmed his racing heartbeat to make his way into the room. His mother was sitting up, her chin placed on the palm of her hand. Her eyes were gazing at the windows — she had to crane her neck to do so — and she looked at the setting sun with a grim face.

"Mom?" Wally whispered, and the woman's eyes widened. For a second her gaze didn't move, but she turned to her son after a second's silence.

"Wally," she croaked out, and she patted the side of her bed. The redhead silently made his way over to her, pulling up a chair to sit next to her. Another moment's silence. "Why are you here?" she asked, her voice like sandpaper.

Wally blinked. "I don't understand," he replied. "Why would you even ask that?"

His mother sighed and took the redhead's hand into her own, gently rubbing the pad of her thumb over the knuckles and the back of his hand. "I thought you had left for good. I thought you had finally moved on from me," she said, but she didn't sound sad, or relieved that he was here. She sounded...

Disappointed.

Wally gaped at her. "Why... But... Of course I wouldn't just leave you, mom," he said. "Why would you even think that?"

She was silent for a while. "The last time you entered this room, I had been the one who spoke the entire time, to you, not the other way around. That was a long while ago. I thought... I thought that you had finally understood where I was coming from. I thought you got over me. I thought that I had finally stopped being dead weight for my son to drag around." She sounded bitter when she spoke again. "I guess I was wrong."

Wally felt his eyes burn at the comment. He wanted to be mad, but he couldn't bring himself to be. It required too much effort. The silence lingered for another second, hanging over their heads. Wally opened his mouth to speak, but he closed it again. He looked at the hand that was holding tightly onto his.

The sun started to tuck itself underneath the surface of the horizon, sending dark shadows on the room.

"Do I really mean that little to you?" Wally whispered, his throat dry as he tried to keep himself crying.

"No," his mother said. "It's because you mean so much to me that I wanted you to leave me. I've done absolutely nothing for you, you know that? Nothing. And yet here you are. Again."

Wally refused to speak. He was afraid that a sob would break loose. He pulled his hand, intertwined with his mother's, up to his forehead. He scrunched his eyes closed, tears threatening to escape.

"Why do you do it, Wally? Why do you do it?" his mother asked.

A sob escaped. His shoulders shook as he sniffled a response out. "I don't know. I don't know, Mom." Tears cascaded onto their hands. "Please don't leave me." A hiccup. "Please don't."

A sigh. She leaned over and pressed her other hand on his head. "Wally, look at me."

His sobs eased up for a second, but his position did not change.

"Wally, look at me," she said more forcefully, but still gentle, and the boy looked up into her dark eyes. She sighed through her nose, and she was quiet for a second as she looked into the bright green eyes of her son. "Wally..." She trailed off for a second before she regained confidence to say the words. "I'm never going to be the right person. I'm never going to be the right parent. I'm never going to be the one to help you up when you fall, when you have a problem that you can't fix. I can't help you because I can't help myself. I was never responsible enough to have a child, as much as I loved having one."

She frowned slightly at the tears that were rolling down Wally's face and pulled her hands out of his grip to brush them from his cheeks. "Only Barry and Iris can help you. They're the only ones in this family that aren't rotten tomatoes. I'm not good enough, and your father-" She cut herself off and didn't continue.

"I can live with him," Wally argued half-heartedly. "He never hits me anymore, not unless I do something really stupid-"

"He shouldn't be hurting you in the first place," she said. After Wally refused to respond to that statement, she sighed and pulled the drawer to her bedside table open. After rummaging around for a second, she pulled a stack of letters out.

She pulled at the string for a second, making sure that it was securely wrapped, before she placed it into Wally's hands. "If you ever need to get away from your father for good, take that to Barry. He'll know what to do."

Wally stared at the stack quietly and with bloodshot eyes. "I don't want to take it to him though," he said, and he cringed at how childish he sounded.

Wally's mother took his hands into her own. "Please, Wally," she whimpered, and Wally watched as she shook her head. Her face scrunched up unappealingly as her own tears made there way out of the corners of her eyes. "Let me do something right for once in my lifetime. I've caused so much hell, blamed it on other people... Let me just do something _right_."

Wally hiccuped before he launched himself forwards and hugged her. She sobbed as she held him back, rocking the two of them back and forth. "Don't come back for me," she said to him, her voice clear, even as the tears fell down her face. "Let this be your last visit for me. Please."

Wally didn't say anything, but she could feel him nodding against the texture of her hospital outfit. Another silence, and her frown tilted into a lopsided smile. Her lips trembled.

"You'd be a good parent," she whispered.

0o0o0o0

Wally felt the receptionist's stare at the back of his head when he made his way towards the entrance of the hospital. He held the letters close to his chest, and he wiped his nose on his sleeve. It was obvious to the people who just entered the building that he had been crying. His eyes were red and puffy, and his hands were shaking as he pushed through to the door.

He never said goodbye to the friendly receptionist, even though he knew it was the last time he was ever going to see him.

The door closed behind him loudly, and he wrapped his jacket closer to himself as the dark night closed in on him. The stars were bright. He crossed through the parking lot. Down the street. Crossed another. Ryan was crying when Wally looked into the dark alleyway he had seen before.

Orphans.

He couldn't see all of Dana's body, but looking at the car not too far away, and its jacked-up front, Wally put the pieces together. The boy was now alone.

Wally lingered a second longer before moving on.

He walked towards his neighborhood, and he came across the playground he had loved as a child.

 _"You want me to push you?"_

A soft voice.

Wally made his way towards the swing set, and he sat down heavily into the too-small seat. He clutched the letters closer to his chest as he sat there.

A sigh.

The gentle gust pushed past him, waving small strands of his hair in front of his face. Wally's hands found their way on the chains on either side of him, and he internally winced from the chill.

It was cold.

Wally sat there for what he thought was an eternity. His feet dug a depression into the dirt below, and his eyes stared endlessly into the wooden chips. Their texture. Their color.

He didn't know when he got up, or when he started walking home again, but soon, he was met with the familiar white door of his house. He sighed and tucked the stack of letters into the inner pocket of his jacket, where it couldn't be taken from him. It created an outline where it was visible, and it pressed against against the side of his stomach.

He walked through the doorway.

He should have been surprised that his father was sitting in the couch nearby. He wasn't.

Ruddy's face turned red when he looked at him, and he placed his beer bottle loudly onto the table in front of him. He stood up and made his way towards him.

Wally didn't move.

"Now you're here, eh? You were supposed to be here at five in the afternoon from whatever shit you had to deal with!" he yelled, his voice growing continuously, and the aggressiveness made Wally want to curl up into himself.

Wally opened his mouth to reply, but his father cut him off.

"It's just about two in the morning! I had already lost one bitch, who's stuck in the fucking hospital, and I thought I just about lost another one. How do you think I feel, waiting nine hours for you to come home!?"

"I-I'm sorry," he stuttered quietly.

"Sorry," Ruddy echoed. "You're sorry. Yeah, _sure_ you're actually sorry; all you do is think about yourself. Who do you think is paying the bills? Who got all your work that you missed from school so you could do it tonight? Who's paying for your education, for your mother to be in the hospital? Who's paying to feed your ungrateful mouth?"

Wally didn't respond.

"Oh, _this_ is what I get? No response for worrying your dad? No, 'I understand what I did was wrong'? You unappreciative brat. I could've left you out on the streets, I could've let you starve on the side of the road! You could be an orphan right now-"

 _Ryan. Dana._

Ryan. Dead.

"-and yet you won't even take a couple minutes out of your time to think about how I feel!"

Wally bit his lip before he responded. "I was visiting Mom in the hospital," he said.

Ruddy growled. "Oh, so you visited a worthless piece of trash that does nothing but suck up money from my wallet, and yet you couldn't even drop by for a minute to tell me where you were going!? I nearly called the police to find where you were!"

A shadow fell over Wally's eyes.

"And now you're giving me the cold shoulder." A hand gripped his collar and pulled him up slightly. "Answer me!"

 _It was very quiet. Not a peep. Not a sound. The silence was overwhelming._

 _Wally could feel his heartbeat. He couldn't hear it, but the repetitive tremors caused his body to tremble slightly. He was walking in a never-ending hallway. It was bright. The only color was the blue and white vase sitting off to the side on a dark oak stand. His skin was gray, as was his eyes, and the rest of his outfit._

 _A bunch of blacks and whites and mixtures._

 _He walked towards the relic — it was expensive, elderly. The bottom rim of it started shaking as one of the legs of the small table snapped. He watched it tip over. The colorless flowers were caught in the gravity, and their petals gently shifted. The water inside was glowing, revealing thousands of bland sparkles as it caught in the nonexistent sunlight. He watched the vase's surface gleam. It was cleaned spotless._

 _For seconds, that was how it was. The vase was titled in midair. The flowers slipped out of the opening of urn, and the water started to trickle off the lip. The droplets were suspended, glittering like diamonds. It was a beautiful sight, one that brought a dark dread in the pit of his stomach._

 _Like all beautiful things, it started crashing down._

 _The vase hit the ground, shattering into tiny, intricate pieces. The flowers were crushed, and the water spilled all over the floor, absorbing into the floor._

Wally remembered exactly what he was thinking right then.

 _"If only I was faster. If only I could be faster. If only I could be faster, so that I could catch that vase. If only I could be so much faster, Dad wouldn't hate me. If only I was so much faster. If only, if only. I'd run from home, I'd run far, far away. I'd run from everything. From all those problems, and I'd take my mother with me. We'd both run._

 _"If I was just a little faster."_

If only Wally could tell his eight-year-old self that that wouldn't happen. If only, if only.

 _A beast appeared, gazing upon the expensive relic that was trashed on the ground. A growl, then a howl, and Wally felt himself being lifted up. A hand around his throat, a wail of pain from him as he kicked his feet. As he scratched at the meaty hands holding him up, desperate for air._

 _A soft, angelic voice cried out. The voice would turn into a croak, but then, the young woman's voice was heavenly as she was pounding on the demon's side, crying her eyes out. Her voice, a gentle screech._

 _He felt his father's hands adjust on his neck as he shoved her away, and then he dropped him. A foot started to stomp on his frail form. Every bone protesting, every bruise forming, the only color on his body. Dark purple marks._

 _"If only I could heal faster. I could take all my mother's hits, and I could take my own without wondering how to hide them. I could make my mother happy again."_

If only.

Wally stared at his bruised hands, the lights long since turned off. His eyes were unseeing as he looked around himself. Pain. That was pain, right? He looked down to his stomach, his eyes softening when he saw that the letters weren't trashed. Glass was strewn in front of him, most likely from the beer bottle. When had he gotten hit by that?

Biting the side of his cheek, he slumped back into the floor. He didn't bother curling up — the action hurt too much — but he reached into the inside of his jacket and let his fingertips graze the side of the paper. It was quiet. Dark, but silent.

Then, the phone rang. It split through the silence, and Wally winced. He knew he would have to get that, unless he wanted to get an angry father on his tail. He huffed as he brought shaky hands underneath him, pushing himself up. He made his way to the home phone, and brought it to his ear.

 _"Is this the West household?"_ the voice asked.

"Yes," Wally croaked, tired.

Silence. _"I'm sorry."_ A few more words.

Wally didn't bother replying. He placed the phone back into its rightful place, and he walked back over to his spot on the floor. The shattered pieces gleamed from the moonlight that streamed through the windows, and Wally curled back where he was. Silent, clear liquid streamed from his eyes.

The vase. The glass.

The water. The tears.

Too bad his flower just wilted.

He was starting to lose his grip on his life, and he felt it streaming past his fingertips, mocking him. Robin. His father. His mother. Gone, gone, gone. The sound of thunder echoed throughout the house, and soon, the moonlight was covered by dark clouds. Rain pattered against the windows.

Gentle pulsing throbbed throughout his form. He couldn't hear his heartbeat, but he could practically feel it threatening to rip him into pieces and swallow him whole. He felt the tears flow faster, and he let out a sob into his knees as he curled up. Pain thrummed along the surface of his skin.

If only he was slow enough to enjoy his mother's lack of time. If only he didn't heal so quickly, so he wouldn't forget the pain in the morning and had a reason to fight back.

If only, if only.


	12. Chapter 12

**I need help with my fight scenes... Also, the next chapter will be super long, so it may take a little bit longer to publish it. It will be, hopefully, around ten thousand words, if I'm lucky. It'll be super long because I need to hold off on publishing to save my other fan fictions from sinking, so you have something extra long to read.**

 **Also IcyFox17: You said "Bye" in your last message, so I decided not to bother you. And yes, your reviews are always, and forever will be, appreciated. I made this chapter extra long (and added a bit of humor) just for you.**

Roy was pissed.

"How many times have we called him?" he growled, and Batgirl sighed.

"Around eleven times," she replied, her hands on her hips.

"Do you think he's hurt?" M'gann asked, worry lacing her tone. Conner placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sure he's okay," he said.

M'gann smiled. "You think so?" At his nod, her smile widened.

Meanwhile, at the other side of the room while the two lovebirds were flirting, Artemis was about ready to execute someone as she received another voicemail. Roy sighed as she started cursing every glorious curse she could come up with.

"Is it possible that he would be unable to alert us of an unfortunate situation he could not get out of?" Kaldur asked Batman. Flash, who was standing next to the bat, suddenly looked very interested in the conversation and turned to the darker man for some reassurance.

"Possible, yes, but unlikely," the Leaguer responded. "The most reasonable explanation is that he is either busy or is suffering from external sources."

"Suffering?" the Atlantian asked, surprised.

Batman didn't reply to his question, and instead turned to Roy. "It would be best if you called him. You are the only one he will respond to."

Roy raised an eyebrow. "How are we going to get his ass over here if he doesn't want to come?"

"He will be here, whether or not he likes it," Batman said gruffly before he headed towards the doorway.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Roy called, but the bat ignored him and left the room.

Roy sighed through his nose before he reached into his back pocket for his phone. He glazed through his contacts before he found the right one. Holding the phone up to his ear, he listened to the rings continue to pass by. Getting close to the final ring, he finally heard someone pick up.

"Hey asshole," Roy started, "care to tell me why you've ignored the eighty calls we've given you?"

Silence.

"Wally, you were supposed to be here..." He looked at his watch. "A lot of hours ago. You weren't even supposed to stay the night at your house."

A sigh. Several muffled sounds made their way through the line as the phone was adjusted.

"Dude, you cannot keep on doing this. You're acting like a spoilt brat," Roy said, starting to get even more irritated with the redhead. "I get you're going through some sad moments here, and you're struggling with your secret being revealed, but you need to get your head out of your ass. We've been worrying about you for who-knows-how-long, and it is really starting to get anno-"

 _"Mom died last night,"_ came Wally's voice, exhausted and broken; it sounded so quiet, like he had lost his voice a long time ago.

Roy's anger dropped immediately, and he felt his face fall. "... What?"

 _"They gave her a potentially-lethal dosage during chemotherapy. It was a risk they had to take."_ A moment of silence. _"The hospital called this morning. Around three, I think. Dad doesn't know,"_ Wally croaked, and Roy cringed at how dry his voice sounded.

"Dude... I'm so sorry," he said, and he was faintly aware of the eyes that were boring into the side of his head, mainly the Flash's. Roy heard Wally sniffle on the other end.

 _"It's... it's..."_ He sighed. _"I'm alive. Sorta."_ There was another moment of silence. _"I guess I need to get to the Watchtower to meet our new babysitter, right? I'll... be down there in a bit."_

The redhead hesitated for a second. "You want me to walk you here?" Roy asked softly.

The archer heard Wally sniffle again, and he heard the slightest hiccup come out of him. It suddenly occurred that he just sent Wally into another cycle of crying. _"That'd b-be nice,"_ Wally said, and Roy could hear the sorrow in his voice.

Roy nodded to himself. "I'll be there in a few, okay? Just... get yourself ready."

Another sigh came from the other side of the line. _"I'll try."_

Roy hung up on the conversation and was ready to leave when the Flash's hand appeared on his shoulder.

"Is Wally alright?" he asked, and the archer could see the worry, plain on his face, even through the mask.

Roy swallowed thickly, knowing that the news would be hard on the superhero as well. "No," he replied simply, and he made his way over to the zeta tubes. He made sure that his sheathed dagger remained on his belt before he teleported away, just in case he needed to protect himself and the speedster.

He had a feeling that Wally wouldn't be able to do it himself.

0o0o0o0

Roy sat his things down on the kitchen counter quietly when he entered the house. None of the lights were on, and many of the curtains and blinds were drawn, leaving him in the darkness. He roamed through the first floor until he found Wally sitting at the bottom of the staircase. He was holding a backpack close to his chest, and for a moment, he didn't even seem to notice Roy.

He looked like a wreck.

"Hey," Roy whispered, and Wally flinched before looking towards him. His eyes were shiny with unshed tears, and the dark circles under his eyes were prominent against his pasty skin. His hair was greasy and was sticking up in several places, and his shoulders were hunched over.

"Hey," Wally rasped. After a second of silence, he shakily stood up. He pulled the backpack around him so the straps were around his shoulders.

"I'm guessing you haven't eaten recently," Roy said, and the boy nodded.

"Yeah," he said quietly.

Roy brought an arm around his shoulders and gently lead him to the kitchen. "I thought so. I got you some food."

Wally seemed to pale even further. "I'm not that hungry," he said, and Roy snorted.

"Yeah, sure. Either way, I'm forcing you to eat some of it. I'm not wasting all that money," the archer responded.

Wally's eyes seemed to shimmer even more with tears, but his lips flickered slightly upwards the slightest bit. It was gone as soon as it came, almost like an illusion, but Roy knew he was still making progress. "Alright," the redheaded speedster conceded.

Roy entered the kitchen, his nose crinkling when he noticed the faint smell of blood and alcohol. He grabbed the box of Krispy Kreme donuts and the bag of soft cinnamon pretzels before he pushed Wally out the door. Wally squinted his eyes when he left the gloomy house and into the bright front of his driveway.

With the light, Roy was able to see the dark bruise on his jaw and his purple, shaking fingers. The blood vessels in his eyes had broken, giving him red, bloodshot eyes. Roy frowned at the sight.

"You okay?"

Wally gently grabbed the pretzel bag, not looking the archer in the eye. "Yeah," he muttered.

"He didn't hurt you too bad, did he?"

Wally frowned but didn't respond. He instead started to make his way down the driveway. Roy sighed and followed after him, walking in step with him down the sidewalk.

"Here," Roy finally said, and he opened the lid of the donut box with ease, handing the speedster a chocolate-covered one with pink sprinkles. Wally took it and stared at it quietly. Roy gestured to his back. "What's with the book bag?"

"School," he said. "All the work I missed on."

Another moment of silence, and Wally sniffled. A tear briefly escaped his eyes, and Roy looked at him in worry, scared that he was going to have a full-out mental breakdown.

"What's the matter?" he asked frantically.

Wally wiped his nose on his ragged-looking sleeve. "Mom always liked pink sprinkles," he muttered, and Roy felt guilt clawing at his innards as Wally, tearfully, started to nibble on the donut.

Roy's eyes softened and he gently rubbed Wally's back, and the two stopped walking.

The speedster's face turned into the ugly-crying expression that people got when they reached their sorrow limit. "Will _anything_ be o-okay?" Wally hiccuped, rubbing at his eyes furiously. The pretzel bag was hanging from his arm. "Does life just want everything to spiral down fro-from me?"

The archer sighed. "If I could tell you Wally, I would. I really, really would." He fell silent for a second before he pulled the shorter boy into an awkward hug. "I'll try to give you a happy ending, Wally. And I really do hope that you'll get one."

Wally sniffled. "I do too."

0o0o0o0

"Isn't that such a shame?"

"What do you want?"

"I already answered that."

"Why do you want it, then?"

"So many questions. But I have no reason to answer you. I'm the one with leverage here."

"..."

"Some mysteries need to be left unsolved. Others need to be left untouched. I suggest you take my word as the truth."

"Tell me this: where's the truth in any of that?"

0o0o0o0

Wally and Roy arrived at the zeta tube, disguised in the alleyway. Wally had long since eaten his sorrows through the donuts, and he had started on the cinnamon pretzels too.

Roy was happy to announce that he managed to get Wally to smile twice. They only lasted for a split second, but he was clearly doing much better now that he wasn't in the oppressive house anymore. It was then that the archer realized how much he liked Wally for being the dumb idiot he was, and he didn't notice how much he overlooked it until it was gone.

Wally breathed in deeply before he typed the code into the hidden zeta tube, Roy appearing behind him seconds later. Several pairs of eyes landed on his ruffed-up form.

"Wally!" Flash exclaimed as he practically teleported to his side. He looked over his nephew, brushing off the dirt and dust of his shoulders before he gave up seconds later. "Where have you been!? Are you alright!? You aren't hurt, are you!?"

Roy stepped in, placing a hand on Flash's forearm. "Give him some breathing room, Flashy."

Flash frowned at the nickname, but before he could respond, a gruff voice cut them off.

"Kid Flash, you're late," Batman said, and Wally could hear the slight aggravation in the undertone.

He sighed and walked where the rest of his Team was huddled up - they were making a half-circle around a hologram of the globe, with Batman and previously Flash on the other side - Roy walking close behind him.

"Unless I need to fill out a late slip, I don't really care," Wally mumbled. He kept his gaze downwards as he stood at the end of the line, Roy following his lead on the other side of the half circle.

M'gann, who was the unfortunate soul to be standing next to him, looked at him with her eyebrows drawn, her lips pursed. She could obviously sense his sadness, and Wally could feel her prodding at the corners of his mind. He sent her a light, warning glare to get her to stop, and she flinched silently, tightening her grip on Conner's arm. In turn, the brunette took notice to her distress, and he glared at the redhead.

The speedster had the feeling that if the clone had heat vision, his brains would've just been sprayed all over the table the hologram was placed on. But if he were to be honest, he wouldn't have minded that so much.

'Don't be sad and attract attention to yourself,' Wally thought. 'Think happy thoughts. Like pretzels. Yes. Cinnamon pretzels. Not your mother. Or your father. Or anyone in between. Just... think food. Food always makes people happy.'

Wally was off in his own little world for a while after that.

Batman immediately started off, blunt and straightforward as he always was. "Most of the League is still unaware of your team's presence in the Watchtower. Many were busy with the most recent events going on around the globe. I have made them as aware as possible, but you will have to alert them yourselves when the time comes. Secondly, the person keeping an eye on you will arrive at any moment from now."

"I'm assuming that means that you're showing us who they are beforehand, right?" Artemis asked.

"Correct; that is why I called you here." The globe vanished and was replaced with a fuzzy picture.

"This already looks like a bad idea," Roy said after a complete moment of silence.

"Bad idea?" Artemis scoffed. "This looks like a disaster waiting to happen."

"I understand you do not think we can handle ourselves after disrespecting your orders, but I am afraid that I do not think that this is the right path to go down," Aqualad said respectfully.

"I have to agree with Kaldur," Conner said. "It's not like we've nearly been killed before, that comes with the job. Getting _their_ help doesn't sound like the best of plans."

"No kidding," Batgirl grumbled.

Zatanna seemed troubled, and her voice was hesitant as she spoke. "Like Conner and Kaldur said, I think that this is going overboard. We learned our lessons, great, but this time, you're acting like it's the end of the world. Is there something that you're hiding that makes this much more dangerous?"

"Yeah, Zatanna's right," Artemis called out, and she crossed her arms as her eyes sparked dangerously. "You're acting super suspicious."

"Even if it was true, that would be none of your concern," Batman replied indifferently.

"I mean, since it revolves around us, I kinda think it does," Raquel said, but she paled and shut her mouth at the dark gaze of Batman.

"No, Raquel, I think you're right," Batgirl said. Her tone was even and somewhat cold. "I don't understand why you're trusting them at all and not giving us any say in it, despite the fact that it has everything to do with us. The decision you're making is reckless; what if they happen to turn on us in a second when they get valuable information? What if they want to attack us from the inside? We know nothing about this guy, and yet you're putting all your trust into them?"

"Yes, because clearly we can't trust you," Batman replied, and Batgirl stepped back slightly like she got slapped. Hurt flashed across her face.

"I mean..." M'gann started timidly, "maybe we can all become friends with him! Wouldn't that be nice?" The entire Team's gazes turned to her, and she realized that she wasn't exactly helping their case. "Oh, uh," she started, doing a terrible job at trying to turn her face into something more angry, "yeah, that's bad! Very, very bad! We should, uh, totally not hang out with him... or anything."

"Hey Wally," Artemis called, and the redhead flinched. "What do you think of your stalker becoming your babysitter?"

The speedster blinked. "Huh?" he mumbled unintelligibly, and he looked around the room at all the expectant faces. "Oh, yeah. Whatever works for everyone else, I guess," he said, his hazy eyes only glancing at the picture before he went back to staring at his hands.

"He's a bit out of it," Roy said, covering for the lost-minded teenager before turning to the Flash. "So, lemme guess; you guys have an argument to refute ours, in which it makes it impossible for us to argue back, leaving us to steam in our own thoughts as you dramatically take your exit."

The Flash blinked. "No, of course no-" The Leaguer stopped as he noticed Batman's pointed look at the back of his head. "Yeah, of course we will. Though I have no idea what this argument is. Look at the Bat, not me," the speedster said.

Batman sighed inaudibly. "Whether or not you trust him is beside the point. The League, or what was available of the League, investigated his background. He saved Kid Flash numerous times among many other low-scaled rescues. We also have reason to believe that he stopped larger schemes in the background."

"So...?" Raquel asked.

"We were prepared to invite him into the League. He would've been assigned to the job of watching you, or he would've agreed without the invitation. Either way, you would still have an unfamiliar target on your hands."

"Assuming that he would even agree to join the League," Batgirl muttered.

Batman seemingly had nothing more to say, but he paused when he started to make his way to the doorway.

"Oh, and Kid Flash?" The redheaded speedster perked up slightly as he swallowed a mouth full of cinnamon soft pretzels. "Next time you're late, I will not hesitate to kick you off the team."

The threat lingered in the air as he left through the doorway.

Wally's eyes flickered with obvious sadness. He pulled up a chair from seemingly nowhere and sat down by the table, where the group of teenagers were diverging. He placed his chin in the palm of his hand, watching the hologram, which was reverted back to a globe, spinning slowly.

...

Something was bugging him.

Something in the conversation rubbed him in the wrong way, and he didn't have a clue what it was. Perhaps if Batman was on his game — and wasn't currently mad at him — he could ask him what it was. Or Batgirl, but she was still sulking and probably would roll her eyes at his assumption. And he was no detective, no matter what the bats said about him helping them, and so he was at a loss.

He sighed and gave up on it. It was probably useless anyways. He watched from the corner of his eye as two redheads sat beside him.

"You okay, KF?" asked Roy.

Wally shrugged.

Batgirl laid a hand on his shoulder. "Batman didn't mean that," she assured. "He's just a grumpy cat right now."

The speedster smiled as his eyes watered, dangerously close to crying. He sniffled, still staring at his hands. "I guess the world doesn't deserve his sarcastic comments?" he joked brokenly, Roy left out of the loop.

"Nah. He's just telling everyone to go to hell," she said, and Wally looked at her with brighter eyes.

"Thanks," he croaked.

Batgirl smiled and said, "Of course." She wrapped him in a quick hug before scurrying off, saying something about planning for an ambush to prove something.

After a moment of silence, Roy turned to Wally. "What was that about?"

Wally's gaze was far away when he responded. "Grumpy Bat is a Grumpy Cat."

Roy raised an eyebrow when Wally stood up, the archer soon following. "I'm not even going to question that."

Wally nodded. "Good idea." He started to make his way out of the room, and Roy called after him.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Wally paused at the doorway. "Food. I feel the urge to drown my sorrows with spaghetti," he called over his shoulder, and Roy watched as he left for the kitchen.

Sighing, the archer watched as Batgirl, Artemis, and Zatanna all converse. Artemis raised her hand to the side to motion something, and Zatanna adjusted the blonde's hand and made a circle with her pointer finger; Batgirl nodded and arched her arm in their direction, and the three smiled and seemingly agreed.

"Uhhhmmm... What are they talking about?" a voice came from directly beside Roy, and he flinched. He turned to find M'gann standing next to him, her cheeks in a pout from confusion.

"When the crap did you get here!?" he yelped, and she turned bashful.

"Oh, uh, for a while. I was wondering what was making Wally so sad. It's not good to be sad," she said.

"Yeah, no kidding," Roy thought. "He's just having-"

 _"Guest Arrival."_

Roy immediately stopped talking and ran for the zeta tubes. He skidded and almost ran into the wall, and then started running again. He ran through the kitchen, grabbing Wally by the collar as he was about to bite into a sandwich. Dragging him into the room with the tubes, he was met with two figures talking.

The Flash's tone was chipper as he said, "- base. The kids are in another room, if you want me to lead you there." He was about to speak again when he noticed the two redheads, and he stopped himself. He turned to the side, giving them a full view of the guest.

Wally swallowed the food in his mouth, and his expression darkened. The suited person remained still.

"Welcome to the party, pedophiliac, stalking babysitter," Roy said, eliciting a hum from the other person.

"I take it you're not a big fan," the suited person said.

"Not really," another voice came, and Roy turned to find Raquel making her way by. "No offense, " she added.

"None taken," they said, and they adjusted their position so they were facing the group of growing teenagers.

"You'll be taking something soon enough!" Artemis growled, and she leaped forwards, arrow drawn. She released it, aiming for their feet. They swiftly reacted, jumping backwards as the arrow hit, releasing a sticky substance. Flash moved to the side, standing next to Roy.

Artemis rolled to the middle of the floor and shot again, in which he easily dodged. Zatanna ran around the side of the room, her arms in front of her as she cast a spell.

"Eit siht nam pu htiw epor!" she exclaimed. A rope was summoned, attempting to wrap around them, but they easily summoned a knife and cut through the weak, flimsy material.

Artemis drew back another arrow, dashing forwards shortly after releasing it. They caught the airborne weapon with one hand, using their other to block a blow from Artemis' bow. Throwing the arrow to the ground—making it snap at contact—they caught her fist as she attempted to punch them, twirling her around in a painful position with her arm behind her back. It was only a split second before he let go of her, and she grunted as she stumbled and hit the floor.

M'gann seemed thoughtful when she spoke. "I thought it was rude in all human culture to attack a guest," she said. "Is that not rude? Can you just go around attacking whoever?"

"What the heck do they think they're doing!?" Roy exclaimed, ignoring the martian.

Wally stepped forwards, but his uncle placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We shouldn't interfere," the leaguer said.

"I am afraid that I am not willing, as their leader, to put them into this situation," Kaldur said.

Flash turned to the atlantean. "They're not trying to get themselves or our guest hurt. They're trying to see if they will keep to their duties: keeping you guys safe, even in the most ridiculous and seemingly impossible conditions. If they cannot do this, then we'll kick them out of the job."

"You planned this?" Wally asked, eerily calm. Roy knew that he was simply too drained to yell.

Flash snorted. "No, obviously not. The girls did. I just agreed to let them do it. Batman may have said that they're okay, but I think that we need some kind of proof that they're willing to go through with this."

Wally frowned and looked over to the person in the plated suit as he dodged another blow from Artemis. His eyes sparked with emotion other than sadness since Roy had seen him.

Zatanna's face darkened as she said, "Nekorb worra, mia rof siht s'nam daeh!"

The broken arrow flew off the ground at high speeds, directed at their skull. They quickly ducked and rolled; Artemis, who had gotten up, attempted to swipe his feet out from under him as he landed on his feet. They sidestepped her outstretched leg, giving Artemis just enough time and distance to swing herself upright.

She rushed forwards, attempting to high kick them in the face. They grabbed her by the ankle and pulled upwards, leaving her upside-down. She gasped at the sudden change in position, and her grip slackened on her bow. The suited person used it to their advantage, kicking the weapon out of her hands and across the room.

They then dropped the archer—gently, if that was even possible—and turned to the dark-haired magician. They seemed like they were about to say something, but Batgirl, who had been hiding near the ceiling, dropped down on top of them. They grunted as she jumped off of their back, performing several well-executed back handsprings.

Utilizing the distance, she pulled out a few glinting, sharp batarangs from her belt, throwing them at them. They dodged a few, using their dagger to hit a few others out of the air.

Zatanna smiled at the restock of weapons. She held her arms out in front of her, and Artemis leapt up, racing towards her bow. She slid along the floor and picked up the weapon, drawing a new arrow as Zatanna started another spell.

"Sgnaratab, tih-"

"Look," they said, interrupting the three from their new barrage, "I get you want to prove a point and all, maybe that you hate me. Or that I shouldn't have been assigned to watching over you. But could you maybe _try_ not to kill me? I would rather not have to leave funeral bills for my family," they said. They then sighed dramatically. "I mean, if you're that determined, go for it; I just thought that you guys had a "no kill" rule or something."

Artemis paused and lowered her bow. "Alright," she said suspiciously.

"Oh, now can we say hi to the new person?" M'gann asked, and Conner shrugged.

"I guess so," he said, and she quickly made it to the person's side.

"So, humans have genders, though your's is less obvious. Are you male or female?" she asked, her arms folded behind her back as imaginary sparkles surrounded her.

"Uhh... You try to kill me, and then ask my gender?..." they asked incredulously.

"Yes," Artemis deadpanned as she walked past, rubbing her sore wrist. "That's how it is; get ready for a lot of clashing personalities."

The person hesitated, and Conner gruffly said, "Just answer the question."

"Guy," he immediately said, surrendering. "Or male, if you want to be formal about it."

Wally ran next to Batgirl and pushed her towards the forming group. She didn't object, but she shot him a look. "What's your name, then?" she asked the newly gender-determined male.

"Is this an interrogation? Because if it is, I'm going to request a chair and a table. It's always funnier when the interrogator slams their hands on the table," he responded.

Batgirl raised an eyebrow. "You sound like you have experience."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he replied. "And to answer your question, my name is classified information."

"Nice to meet you, Classified Information," Artemis said sarcastically.

"No comment," he responded.

"Then what's your superhero name?" Raquel asked.

"Don't have one," he said, placing a hand on his hip. "Seriously though, are we having an interroga-"

"Why don't we come up with a name then?" Zatanna said, purposefully cutting him off.

"That sounds like a great idea!" M'gann exclaimed, clapping her hands.

"It would have to include his personality," Kaldur said calmly.

Wally turned to him. "Do you have any powers?" he asked flatly.

"Technically, not really."

Wally crossed his arms. "He's fast. That's about it."

"He's a stalker," Conner suggested.

"Are we still on about that?"

Roy grinned evilly. "I say we just call him that. Stalker."

"What?"

Artemis smirked. "Sounds perfect. Stalker. Swift and creepy and stupid."

Kaldur nodded after a moment's hesitation. "A short, simple name. I do not exactly approve, but it is reasonable."

Zatanna smiled. "And now the world will know not to let this man get anywhere near the children," she said as dramatically gestured to him, who was standing awkwardly.

"You've gotta be kidding me."

Wally chuckled. His eyes light up for split second at the humor. "Stalker, huh? I quite like it."

"Agreed," Batgirl added.

Flash watched in amusement as the name was decided for the poor male before he zipped away.

"Welcome, Stalker, to the hell that is the job of babysitting a bunch of teenage heroes."

A sigh. "Batman promised me cookies. I can only hope he wasn't lying."

Wally smiled. "Who knows? Maybe I'll even share some with you."

 _"Because one of the first lessons I learned was that sharing is caring. Right, Mom?"_


	13. Intermission

**HI: Your question is interesting, and honestly, I don't know how to answer it. I wasn't planning on doing romance, at least, not in the first bit. However, seeing as we're halfway through the story now, I can see why. I actually thought I'd keep them (Wally and Barbara) as friends, seeing as I cannot find many fan fictions where a female and male character are best friends but aren't in a romantic relationship. However, if you're dying to read that, I can do it for you; just keep in mind that there may or may not be future or different ships later on. And be aware that I do my romance a little bit differently, and so, while it'll usually end nicely, it won't be a significantly "cuddling and rainbows" ride.**

 **But this does raise the question: do you guys want romance, and if you do, who?**

Wally was curled up in the middle of his bed, the covers pulled over his head. He was exhausted after going through another cycle of crying, and he had had just about enough of mourning for his mother. But no matter how many times he tried to convince himself to get out of bed and do something, the thought of his mother would crawl into his heart and refuse to leave, making his stomach clench in on itself. Several times he thought he was going to be sick, but the symptom remained at just feeling nauseous.

He pulled the covers tighter around himself, clenching them in his hands to get rid of the feeling. He had really angered his father. Angered him more than he had ever before. Ruddy usually never went into depth about all the things he did for Wally. Often, he just told him what he did wrong and taught him a lesson to make sure he never did it again.

Discipline. That was what it was in its raw form.

Maybe his father really was just scared for his safety. Maybe he was about to call the police because he arrived so late.

How ironic.

Wally sighed into the sheets of his temporary bed. The shame that he felt was indescribable. Suddenly, he had the urge to sit up. Pulling the covers off of his head, he pulled a thin blanket over his shoulders as he slid off the bed. Making his way to the corner of his room, he pulled on his backpack and unzipped the smallest compartment. Digging into it, he quickly found and pulled out a stack of letters tied together by a red string.

He made his way back to his bed, pulling gently on the end of the tied string. The knot came undone, and Wally grabbed the string before it fell onto the floor. He crawled into his bed, and he looked at the letters in his grip. There were, at the very least, fifteen or so. He hesitated, wondering to himself what he even wanted to accomplish, before he pulled out the very last letter in the pile, setting the others off to the side.

With shaky hands, he opened the flap of the envelope with ease, seeing as it wasn't licked shut. His hands trembled as he pulled a slip of paper out, and he unfolded it to see his mother's messy handwriting.

 _Dear Reader,_

 _It's already August. Three more months, and my baby turns seventeen. I can't even believe it. He's grown so much. But even so, the childish look in his eyes have yet to mature. I'm not complaining; the look gives me hope that he will continue to be his cheerful, selfless self._

 _Sometimes, though, I think that he needs to learn how to treat himself._

 _I try to think positive for him. But his birthday is in three whole months. I'm not sure I can make it that long. I'll try._

 _His father came to the hospital the other week, angry as a bull dog. Stormed in, threatening that if Wally came to this room ever again, he would beat him half to death. I almost cried. Perhaps I even did. I don't remember. All I know is that I was sitting in tense silence for a very, very long time._

 _And then Wally came in through the doorway. He acted like normal. I asked, subtly of course, why he was here, in this wretched, awful hospital room. He seemed oblivious to the threat his father made, but even so, I spoke to him about my stories instead of the other way around, just in case he wouldn't come back._

 _I wasn't quite sure why I did it. Maybe I wanted him to know for future reference. Maybe I was just selfish enough to burden him with them before I died. I don't even know anymore._

 _He hasn't been back in a while. I can only hope that his father didn't notice him a little bit late when coming home. I can only pray that he was too drunk to even keep his eyes open._

 _I know I should have called authorities then. It was getting out of hand. Wally needed to be put into someone with care, someone who could love him. And yet I didn't. I didn't because Wally told me not to. I did it because I wanted to respect my son's wishes to keep him "happy", in some twisted, sick way._

 _I should have called them, but then Wally would hate me. I know that, in time, he would have realized what I did would've been for the best._

 _Time I do not have._

 _I know that if I did bring awareness to Wally's abuse, I would die with the knowledge that my own son would have hated me. I wouldn't be able to handle it. I'm not able to be brave like he is, and face both death and my fears head-on. I know I'm a god-awful mother. You do not have to tell me this._

 _Does that make me a coward? Unable to help my son in risk of my own emotions? In sake of the happiness of my last moments?_

 _Oh yes. Yes, I know I am._

 _Sometimes, I wonder where he gets his bravery from. It's not from me. The only thing his father gave him was anger issues, and recently, he's been mellowed out. Perhaps it was from that childhood friend he often talked about? But he died a long time ago._

 _So where does my son get his bravery? He obviously sees something in this world, something outside him. Where is it that he sees the potential, the possibilities? Where is it that he gets the strength to stand back up?_

 _Sometimes, I have the feeling that I will never know. Even rarer, I have the feeling that he doesn't know either._

 _So I ask anyone out there who might be reading this._

 _Where can you find bravery?_

Wally was going to read more, but his vision was blurred enough with heavy tears that burned his eyes. He folded the letter back up, putting it in the envelope and at the bottom of the pile. He shoved them into his nightstand's drawer, rolling up the string and placing it next to the stack before shutting the drawer.

He placed the palms of his hands on his eyes, rubbing the sore organs gently. He wiped his tears away and took a shuddering, deep breath in before releasing it slowly. He stood up, his eyes hardened as he walked over to his room's door. Ripping the door open, he was about to walk into the hallway when he was met face-to-face with Roy (who had a fisted hand up in the air), and Stalker. It looked as if he were ready to knock on the nonexistent door.

The archer blinked. "Oh, hey Wally," he said sheepishly, taking in Wally's wrecked form and dark bedroom.

Wally raised an eyebrow. "What are you guys doing here?"

Roy gave him a lopsided smile. "Uh, Monopoly? Stalker's never played."

Wally stared at him with a deadpan expression before he opened the door further, stepping aside to let the two in. "Hurry up," he grumbled, "before I slam the door in your faces."

Artemis scowled when she heard Roy spitting curses through the wall.

"Oi, stop frowning. You're making my jaw hurt just looking at you," a voice said.

The blonde archer flinched as she looked at her computer, staring dead-on at the mac's camera, knowing that the person in call with her could see her glaring daggers at them. "You've got some nerve, Grayson," she said.

Grayson Johnson's face appeared on the screen of her laptop, his eyebrow raised. Scars were easily visible on one side of his neck, a few lining his jaw and making it to his cheekbone. One line curled, like a dry vine, to the corner of his eye. "Nerve? As in a singular noun? Puh-lease. This boy's got more than a single nerve, thank you very much."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "In your dreams, kiddo."

The dark-haired male smirked. "Honey, be happy that _you_ have a hundred billion of those things. There's no possible way that I can get on every single one of them!"

Artemis gave him an unimpressed look. "Uh-huh... yeah, if you want to believe that, go right ahead."

Grayson pouted. "You're such a meanie," he said, but he quickly bounced back up. "Anyways, I've come to say that I've officially done my three-fourths of the entire project, which leaves you to the last quarter. If things go south over..." He paused. "Wherever the heck you are, just call me; I'll jump on your part. Preferably, do it sooner rather than later, so that I'm not staying up 'til eleven the night before its due."

Artemis smiled gratefully. "Thanks," she said, a hint of kindness in her words. "I really appreciate you doing this for me."

Grayson grinned back at her, his young face practically glowing with the praise. "Of course, m'lady. Anything for the archery princess."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Alright kiddo, you may be a sophomore, but you're still just barely a teenager. You're not allowed to flirt."

Grayson guffawed, his eyes watering with tears. "Well, 'Mis, I'm _already_ fourteen. Turning fifteen in a few months. And, for the record, I thought we made it clear that I'm never going to flirt with a female on my own volition."

Artemis snorted. "Right, right, I remember now. How's that going for you, by the way?" she asked sarcastically.

Grayson stuck his tongue out at her. "Don't patronize me," he complained childishly.

Artemis laughed. "Alright, Grayson, I'll stop." Her face suddenly turned thoughtful. "What a minute... your name practically agrees with your situation. Just get rid of one-"

A red-faced Grayson interrupted her. "Don't you dare complete that sentence! And for the last time, stop _antagonizing_ me!"

Artemis laughed. "Alright, alright." She paused, and she looked at the dark bruise on the opposite cheekbone of the scarred one. Her smile flitted, though she tried to keep it on her face. "What happened to your cheek?"

Grayson raised an eyebrow. "What, you're just starting to question my sca-"

Artemis interrupted him. "No, I mean the bruise on the other one," she quickly said. She knew how sensitive he was about them.

Grayson blinked before he grazed a few fingers over the wound. "Ah," he said simply, before giving her a wide grin, his dark brown eyes staring her down.

"Let's just say some idiots don't like this face. They said that my beautiful face was hideous! Would you believe that, Artemis? I mean, _clearly_ , they don't understand the definition of gorgeous."

M'gann was quiet as she looked at the ingredients labeled on the back of the box. Her eyes flickered over the directions, and she pouted slightly as she read intently. Determination flickered in her eyes.

"Alright," she started proudly, "I can do this! I won't burn it this time!"

Conner leaned himself against the counter. "You sure? You said that last time, too," he said. He didn't mean it to be rude, but he was simply stating the truth.

M'gann felt her confidence shatter. "E-eh, right, I did say that, didn't I?" she asked as she rubbed the back of her head abashedly.

Conner looked at her blankly. "They aren't as burned as when you first started. At least, Wally seems to think that way," he said, his voice darkening when he mentioned his teammate.

M'gann stared at his grim face for a second, gears turning in her head. "Conner," she said softly, "why are you angry with him?"

Conner glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, taking in her crossed arms and concerned expression. After a moment of silence, he finally said, "He hurt you."

M'gann's expression melted, and she set the red box down on the counter. "Oh, Conner," she said. "He didn't hurt me. He was just speaking the truth. I shouldn't have gone into his mind."

Conner faced the martian. "He hurt you," he repeated.

M'gann looked into his eyes, her gaze switching to look at each blue iris. She laid her hands on the counter, facing the far wall. "Do you remember... when Luthor convinced you to take those power-ups?" She paused, and when faced with silence, she looked over to the clone. "Do you remember... when Roy found out he was a clone? When Artemis revealed her criminal family?" She placed a hand on his shoulder, taking another breath. "When I revealed that I'm an albino martian?" she asked quietly.

Conner felt his gaze soften. "Yeah," he said.

"Just... remember how it felt to have your secret revealed," she said. "And imagine how Wally feels."

Conner's eyebrows furrowed. "I felt... better after I told my secrets."

M'gann nodded and smiled as she opened the box, pulling out the bag of brownie mix. "Because the Team accepted it. We didn't care, or, rather, we knew where you were coming from."

Conner grabbed the bowl, having helped her enough to know the next steps. "Well, we accept him," he said.

M'gann grabbed the bowl from him, her fingers brushing against his own. "Yes, we do," she said patiently. "But did we ever tell him that?"

"... No," Conner said.

M'gann smiled sadly, and she blinked back tears as she poured the mix into the bowl, using her telekinesis to levitate several other ingredients in the air. "No," she echoed. "We haven't. And I regret it very, very much."

She struggled to open another box in her emotional state. Conner took the box from her, and he gently opened it for her. She gave him watery smile as she began to mix more of the ingredients together. She took in another shaky breath to calm her nerves. The two continued to make their way through the process, and they occasionally bumped into one another. Finally, they poured the first batch of brownies into the pan, and they pushed it into the oven.

Conner spoke up, breaking the silence again. "He's hurting you right now," he stated, an undertone of confusion taking place in his tone.

M'gann set the timer for the oven, and she watched as it started its work. "I think," she said slowly, "not all pain is bad."

Conner gave her a confused look. "How is that possible?"

M'gann felt her lips tug into a frown. "I'm... not quiet sure." She looked over her shoulder to the clone, hesitating. "Maybe we should ask Wally."

Raquel walked with the stoic Kaldur, carrying the conversation for the two of them. "-and so me and Zatanna end up pranking back..." She hesitated. "Wally," she finally said. She turned towards her team leader, giving him a scrutinizing look. "Is he... okay? He seemed really pissy earlier ago."

Kaldur glanced in her direction. "Roy informed me that he is suffering from a close loss," Kaldur said monotonously.

Raquel mustered a quiet and sad, "Oh," before she fell silent. After a while, she stared at him. Having an internal debate, she finally raised an eyebrow. "Are _you_ okay?"

Kaldur paused in their walk, and she stopped shortly afterwards. He faced her. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Raquel placed her hands on her hips. "You seem kinda off. Just a little bit more, I don't know, grim? Sad? You look like you haven't slept. That can't be good as leader."

Kaldur sighed. "It is _because_ of my position that I am restless," he admitted.

Raquel was silent. It was enough notion for the atlantean to continue, and he started walking towards his destination—the training room—with Raquel in tow. "It has always been difficult to keep the Team together. However, without Kid Flash to lighten the Team's burdens, things have been rough. He is one of my oldest, and most admirable, friends. He can usually keep the team together. Now, it seems as if he cannot even keep himself together. No matter what I do, it seems to make it worse," he confessed.

Raquel pondered for a second. "You shouldn't bear that responsibility. Yeah, he's your teammate, and your friend, but that doesn't mean you should forget about your own health." When Kaldur didn't seem to react to her comment, she sighed. "It sounds like a terrible thing to say, I know... I'd probably slap myself if I were someone else. But you shouldn't worry to death over Wally. I'm not saying you should abandon him, because _that'd_ be a rude move, but from what I can tell, I think Wally might need a little of alone time. And maybe he doesn't. However, Wally is such a people-person all the time, I think he, occasionally, might need to think some things through while he's by himself. And I think now is one of those times, you know?"

Kaldur looked at her, his eyes dark with confusion and exhaustion. "No, I do not, I am afraid," he said.

Raquel breathed out through her nose, trying to find the best way to explain. "Wally..." she started, pausing as she tried to convey what she meant, "is going through a hard time. And you may need to break through to him, but in the meantime, he also needs to go through his own grieving process. If he chooses to surround himself with people, that is his decision. We can't choose his future, but try to guide it the best way possible." She looked out of a wall of glass, staring into the dark abyss of stars and galaxies. "If Wally was thinking straight, he'd bop you in the head and tell you to treat yourself right. I don't want him, when he finally leaves his shell, to look around and see a bunch of saddened team members because he was acting out of character. He'd want everyone to be happy."

Kaldur was quiet as he soaked up the information, and then he smiled, lightening his features considerably. "I see, my friend," he murmured.

Raquel smiled back at him, and then she grew excited as she smelled the scent of bakes brownies. She gasped giddily. "I smell sweets. Is M'gann in the kitchen?"

Kaldur said, "Most likely. She prefers to bake in her free time."

Raquel grinned as she entered the kitchen. "Well, we're about to find out," she said. "Hey, M'gann!" she called as she spotted the obvious martian.

The ecstatic girl smiled brightly. "Hey, you two! Do you want some brownies? I didn't even burn them this time!" she said happily.

Kaldur politely declined, but Raquel took a small one off the cooling tray. "Hey, M'gann, you wouldn't mind if I gave some to the boys, would you?"

M'gann shook her head. "Of course we can! I can even come with you if you want." The martian turned to Conner, who had crumbs on the corners of his mouth. "I guess I'll meet up with you later? We can talk then," M'gann said, and the clone nodded.

The two girls were gone before the boys could blink, and the two boys were left in silence. Kaldur turned to Conner. "Would you like to accompany me to the training room, my friend?" the leader asked.

Conner looked right through him. "Sparring?" he guessed.

Kaldur smiled and nodded. "If that is what you wish," he said.

Conner didn't hesitate to leave the room, ready for a challenge. However, he kept his talk with M'gann tucked safely into the corner of his mind for later—he had a feeling that he owed Wally a little more respect.

Zatanna stared up at the hologram of her father. His face was set in a serious expression, deepening the wrinkles and giving his eyes a darker look. His short black hair fell in neat waves along his skull, the roots lightening to a dark gray. He was lean and shorter than most of the other male Leaguers, and his age made him less muscular. However, he was a sorcerer—a warrior that could bring down giants with a quick, sharp tongue. Built as he was, he didn't need to be fit to do his job.

He was a great father. He still was, since he wasn't technically dead. Zatanna swore that she wouldn't stop searching until she could release her father from the chains of Doctor Fate and restore his place as her father. The League didn't think it could be done. During her few sessions with Black Canary, she quickly realized that the members seemed a little too downcast. A little too apologetic for her. A little too disbelieving when she confided in her mission to bring her father back. But that didn't matter.

She swore that she would kill Doctor Fate once and for all if it came to it.

Usually, the League only set up holograms for the dead, but they decided to designate one for her father for his honor. He was separated from the rest, due to his status. Her arms crossed, she stood there, taking in all the details. Her father's long jawline. His forest-green eyes. His thin mustache. Her expression mirrored his—stony and cold.

"Zatanna," a voice called into the silence.

Zatanna felt like flinching, but she managed to refrain from doing so. Instead, she turned to face the familiar voice. Her eyes narrowed, but she refused to speak.

Fate's helmet gleamed clean, and Zatanna felt like throwing up when she recognized the lanky frame of her father. She couldn't see his face, but it was enough for her to want to leave the room. Immediately. The teen, seeing that Fate was unconsciously blocking the doorway, walked to the end of the room, hoping against hope that the sorcerer would leave her alone.

She found herself in front of a random hologram. It was by itself, just like her father's was. Placing her hands on its base, she read the nameplate with uninterested eyes. Anything to distract her from Fate's presence.

She blinked. She knew that name. Wasn't it from...

"Robin," Fate's voice came from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder at him. He had stopped several meters from her, which she was grateful for. However, a flicker of annoyance still surged through her.

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice steely.

She heard him sigh, and footsteps echoed throughout the room as he stood next to her. "His name was Robin," he started again.

"I got that," she said.

Fate ignored her. "He would have been around your age, if I remember correctly."

Zatanna felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as she recognized the tone of his voice. It was different—almost as if her father was showing through. She looked up from the name plate, refusing to look away from the small boy's hologram and, in turn, to Fate. She swallowed heavily as she looked at the boy's thin, wiry frame and tanned skin. He had a grin on his face, with one hand on his hip and the other in a peace sign. He looked so young, and Zatanna felt her stomach drop as she realized that the little kid was dead.

"He was ten when the hologram was put up," Fate said in the weird tone. He was quiet for a moment. "Batman was trashed. In denial." The sorcerer turned to Zatanna. "Like I would have been if I had let Fate take you instead," he said.

Zatanna felt tears threaten to escape her eyes as she turned to Fate. Her father. "So it really is you," she whispered.

The helmet was still on, but Zatanna could practically see the smile on her father's face as he placed two firm hands on her shoulders. "Yes, it really is me."

Zatanna ran into his arms, wrapping her arms around his torso. A few tears leaked out of her eyes. "How did you even manage to convince him?" she asked, her voice rough as she revealed her inner emotions.

Zatara laughed. It was still echo-y, but the effect was reduced. "I didn't. Fate seemed pretty nervous when he realized that he could be making an enemy out of you. He can get away with a lot of stuff with the League, but he had a feeling that you wouldn't be so lenient. He decided he could be generous a few times if it meant preventing an enemy out of you."

Zatanna laughed. "Well, he was right, that's for sure."

Her father chuckled, and then he gently peeled her off of him. Wiping the stray tears from her face, he looked her in the eye the best he could. "Zatanna, my dear girl," he started, "I do not have long. Be brave for me, alright?" He paused to take her hands into his own. "You are the strongest person I have ever met. I know that you will be great at whatever you choose to be." He brought her into a hug again.

"Goodbye, Dad," Zatanna said, feeling her gut rip open to the fact that he was already leaving.

"Goodbye, my dear. I shall see you another time," he said. He disappeared into the persona of Doctor Fate, who nodded respectfully to her. And then the two of them were gone.

Zatanna watched them leave from her stance by Robin's hologram. She looked back to the kid's figure, and she smiled to herself. "What an inspiring young hero," she muttered to herself sarcastically. "You actually managed to get on the Batman's soft side. Wonder how things went for criminals that even laid a finger on you." She shook her head to herself and sat by the base of the hologram, thinking.

 _"Be brave for me, alright?"_

Barbara Gordon stared at herself in the mirror. None of the fading bruises on her face were visible, she made sure of that. However, while the bruises weren't, her scowl was.

Batgirl was the only other person other than Wally to have to come up with a reason for absences for close guardians. Zatanna practically lived at the base, as did Conner, M'gann, and Kaldur. Raquel had a family member in the League, Artemis' mother was aware of her daughter's hero duties, and Roy was a perfectly capable adult.

Which left Wally and Barbara to be the only two who had to come up with reasonable excuses. Luckily, Bruce Wayne was good friends with her father, which meant Commissioner Gordon didn't have reason to be suspicious when the billionaire asked for her presence for a collaborative school program witnessing the new technological advancements in his science department. Of course, this included "staying several nights at Wayne Industries." Wayne invited her father the night she (supposedly) got back before the next session would begin.

Barbara wondered, at this point, why her father never questioned anything anymore. It had to be one of the most ridiculous excuses in existence, but Wayne was a billionaire. He could do and say what he wanted, and everyone would nod their heads and agree. Sometimes, it was a little frustrating.

But it wasn't like she couldn't make a scene of it, because then she'd have to explain to her father why she was dressed up in a bat suit alongside the infamous _Batman_.

Okay, so maybe it was better that she _didn't_ do anything stupid like that.

Sighing, she pulled her red hair back and into a tight ponytail. Happy that it was out of her face, she then straightened out her shirt, smoothing at the wrinkles. She breathed in and out. No mask. No secrets. Just dinner with her father and the man she's been close to since she started her nightly job.

She tried to smile in the mirror, but it looked more like a grimace. She rubbed her tired eyes and sighed. She needed to be happy. Ecstatic, even. She had learned a lot when going to the collaborative program. She made a few nice acquaintances, too. Yes, yes, everything was fine.

It wasn't like she had stayed up all night with Wayne, trying to help solve his cases. It wasn't like she managed to figure out where both the Riddler and the Joker were hiding in Gotham all by herself with three hours of sleep in the past two days. It wasn't like they managed to go through all the smaller mysteries, cleaning up most of the minor loose ends. It wasn't like they were both sick of hearing "Bird Epidemics" for the three thousand one hundred and sixty-seventh time, having long since memorized the times of the bird attacks. No, no sir.

Barbara groaned and slapped herself in an attempt to wake herself up more. She needed coffee. Or a frappuccino. Preferably both.

She jogged in place, trying to get some natural adrenaline pumping through her veins. Perhaps she could even do some pushups. Though her arms were so tired, they would be like marshmallows. They'd collapse underneath her. She could fall asleep on the carpet floor of the hallway, and she could enjoy the fluffiness of her marshmallow arms. Maybe she could even dream of candies and other flavors...

Barbara groaned again, feeling herself falling asleep while standing up. No, no resting. She pulled her shoulders back and breathed deeply before she started jogging down the hallways. Down a flight of stairs, and another. Across the long hall, and through the maze of another floor. And then, the last flight of steps, turn the corner—

She slammed face-first into someone. Gasping, she pulled back to see that she was face-to-face with her father. She internally cursed as she heard her heartbeat in her ears. Her father steadied her with his hands on her shoulders. He laughed.

"Oh, so excited to see me, are we?" he asked, and Barbara rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, of course," she panted.

He raised an eyebrow. "Why're you so out of breath?"

She chuckled wearily as she took in deep breaths. "Tired. Needed to get some adrenaline running. You'd be surprised how many kids snore these days," she said, and her father smiled.

"Well, I guess that means I'l have to leave early then, if you want to get a good night's rest," he said.

Barbara waved him off. "Don't worry about me." She hugged him tightly as hello. "Now," she announced as she stopped hugging her father, "we shall eat."

James—her father—shook his head fondly while Wayne smiled. It was a common occurrence for the both of them, until night rolled around and the two's job came to take it away. When the cowl or badge was on, there wasn't a single glimmer of amusement in either of them.

Barbara found herself sitting near the end of the too-long table, her father sitting in front of her and Wayne sitting at the end. Alfred had long since passed out platters full of rich, mouthwatering food to the three of them. It was a service she was not yet used to, nor did she think that she would ever get used to it.

 _"Alfred had a heart attack."_

 _"Oh."_

 _"Just oh?"_

 _"I feel bad now."_

 _"Don't..."_ _  
_

Barbara felt her stomach twinge as she remembered her lie. However, she ignored it. It was a lie that had to be taken—she didn't even know what was up with the Batman, and he was her partner. She had no idea what to say, and she just needed Wally off her back for a little bit so that she could concentrate. The boy had been pestering her for hours on end. Eying the pork chops, she decided to leave that for last before she started to eat it.

Barbara found that she had practically licked her plate clean all too soon. But with a full stomach, she could think clearly again without the signs of hunger wearing her down. She watched patiently as the conversation between her two father figures bloomed, stretching through different topics. It started with the program she was attending, then notorious criminals, and then, finally, it turned to the best topic of all—cats.

"I might have to get one one of these days," James admitted. "Barbara locks herself in her room all day, so it'd be nice to have a companion. And I swear if I have to walk past them in the animal shelters without even petting them I'm going to die."

Wayne smiled. "I'm more of a dog person, to be honest, but I know someone who might want a cat."

Barbara felt her entire body tense. "He can't be talking about Selina. He mustn't, because if he is, I'm going to scratch his eyes out," she thought to herself.

Alfred walked into the room, swiftly piling the plates of mostly-empty food into a tall stack. He worked steadily, making swift progress with the dirty dishes. She murmured a quiet thank you to him when he picked up her plate, and he subtly nodded.

Standing up straight, he was about to leave when the chimes of the grandfather clock rang throughout the house. "If that is any indication," he said to Gordon, "then it is extremely late. Perhaps, mister Gordon, you should start heading home?"

The commissioner nodded. "Of course, Alfred. I'll be out of your hairs in no time." James stood up from his seat, and Wayne followed. Barbara did as well, and the three made their way to the large doorways of the mansion. Barbara hugged her father, and was ready to watch him leave when they did the thing that adults always do:

Start up a last-minute conversation that ends up lasting an entire half hour.

Barbara sighed and left to go use the bathroom, already content with her farewells. She forced her tired legs to climb the flights of stairs. She was panting when she made it to the floor with her guest bedroom. Sighing in pure exhaustion, she was ready to head to her bedroom when something caught her eye.

One of the doors was cracked open.

She stood there, curious. Finally deciding that the bathroom could wait, she opened the door fully. She was met with a simple, plain room. A poster hung on one side of the room, and a stuffed elephant was sitting on the bed. Otherwise, the room was normal. Average. Nothing special about it.

Yet, somehow, Barbara had the feeling that it was a lot more important than any other room in the house.

She held her breath, looking around the bedroom. She had the feeling that she was intruding, that she was doing something wrong. But she felt something calling to her. Walking towards the empty dark oak desk, she gently pressed her hand along the edges of the wood. The desk was simple, with only two small drawers, one on either side of the seat.

She opened the left compartment, which was empty. Opening the second one, it also looked empty at first sight. However, she quickly spotted the difference, and she smiled to herself when she noticed that the right compartment's back wall was black, while the other one was the color of light birchwood. Reaching into the right compartment, she struggled to get the black thing from the back. It was stuck.

Sighing, she tweaked it loose enough until it finally came loose, and she quietly pulled it out of the drawer. Looking behind her to make sure that no one heard her, she closed the drawer. Looking at what she pried from the desk, she was surprised to see a simple black journal. It was covered in dust, and she blew on the cover to get rid of some of it.

She ended up sneezing. Holding a hand over her nose to muffle it, she sat on the bed. She sniffled once before she opened the cover.

This Book Belongs To: 

_Dick John Grayson_

Barbara blinked before she felt her face pale. She swallowed heavily, and she hesitated before flipping to the next page.

 _I do not know what I should write. Bruce Wayne is the person who adopted me. He gave me this book to write in. He said to me that it would make me feel better. I do not know why writing what happens to me would make me feel better but he is older then me so I think he might be right._

 _A long time ago me and my family were performing. An evil man messed with our equipment though, and we did not know this. I heard him talking about it before the performance but I thought it was nothing. Because he messed with our equipment, my parents fell._

 _They fell from very very very far up. They had no net to catch them. I did not fall with them._

Barbara felt sick to her stomach and skipped through several entries until she noticed a change in handwriting. She stopped and read the date, noticing that it was more than a year since the first one.

You know, Bruce is great, but sometime's I feel like he goes a little overboard. Maybe he doesn't; maybe that's just me, but that's what it feels like. He's always trying to push me a little _hard_ _er, and get me to do things like I'm going to die the next day. I appreciate the thought, but it's not like he's just going to let me get killed. I'll probably write my will somewhere in here, though, if that makes him feel better. It'll be a while before I get back to that, though._

Barbara flipped the page.

 _So, I'm starting to see where Brucie's coming from. And lemme just say, I take back everything I said weeks ago. I've had plenty of close calls before, but Joker has never hit me so hard. He almost killed me, and he would have if Batman hadn't arrived, like, two seconds earlier. It was pure luck that I survived._

 _My will is simple: everything goes to Bruce. I mean, there's nothing more to say. Though, I feel like I should leave a message for my friends if they ever see this?_

 _Wally West is my only friend though. (I know, depressing.) I guess I'll add on as I go. For Wally, he should know that no matter what, I won't blame him. He's a good kid. Also, if someone else is reading this that isn't Wally, then do me a favor and listen to Wally when he's serious. And pay attention to the smaller details._

 _He gives you a lot of those, even when he doesn't think he does. Maybe it'll be different when he grows up. Maybe he'll be better at lying. I don't know. I'll just have to see._

 _As for future sidekicks... I've heard of it before. People who get second sidekicks. Often, the second replaces the first, and the first has to leave. Other times, the second is always compared to the first, and they are left in the first's shadow._

 _I don't even know if I want Bruce to have another sidekick. It's always been just us two, the Dynamic Duo. The Dynamic Trio? Ehhh. But, at the same time, I don't think I'm going to stick around forever. Whether that's through me dying or from me moving away, I don't yet know. I'm too young to think of those things. But if I do, wouldn't Brucie be lonely? I would rather him have someone to hang out with him, to lighten up his mood and keep him from becoming a grumpy bat._

 _But at the same time, I don't want some newcomer replacing me and destroying my relationship with Bruce. He still hasn't gotten around to signing the adoption papers, which means I'm still a charity case. And if some new person came along, they could totally overthrow my title._

 _I don't want that._

 _But, if it happens..._

"What are you doing in here?" a voice cut through the air, and Barbara flinched when she recognized it as Bruce's voice.

She felt her face heat up in shame. She gripped the diary closer to her chest, and she turned to face a shocked Bruce. His eyes were heavy as they looked around the room.

She opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish. "I-I... The door was open."

Bruce stared at her and noticed the book in her hands. "What is that?" he croaked.

Barbara hesitated. "The diary you gave him when he first came to live with you," she said slowly.

He blinked. "He kept that?" he asked, mostly to himself, after a moment of silence.

Barbara nodded. Senses a growing tension, she patted the space next to her. Bruce hesitated before sitting down next to her, somewhat awkwardly. Barbara looked down at the diary in her hand and read the last lines of the entry.

"In conclusion, Brucie: I love you more than anything, and you were the best father I could ever ask for. If you get anymore sidekicks to make you feel less lonely, then treat them like you treated me. Even better would be amazing. And remember that we will always be the Dynamic Duo, even in parting," she said.

Bruce stared at the journal, his eyes glistening. He held his hand out, and Barbara handed him the diary. He opened up to a random page and started reading. Seemingly satisfied, he closed it. "Where did you find this?" he asked quietly.

"In the back of the drawer of his desk," she responded.

Bruce fell silent, and he continued to play with the pages of the journal. Barbara decided to break the silence.

"What was he like?" she asked.

Bruce was quiet for a second, almost as if he was trying to find the answer. "Funny. Energetic. Brash. He'd zip through these top-secret hallways like a blinking disco ball. And then he would get himself into situations he often couldn't handle. But he was a smart kid—smarter than anyone else I've ever met, except for maybe Alfred. He chose not to be serious, but when he wanted to be, he could scare the socks right off of you."

Barbara smiled. "Sounds like an amazing kid," she said.

Bruce looked up at her, peering through her soul. He silently asked what she wanted, but she didn't know the answer to it. So instead, she reached forwards and hugged him, and after a second, he hugged her back.

It was nice. Almost like she was in a cocoon of a bat's wings.

Two hours later, and she found herself in her bedroom. Her phone in her hand, she hesitated. Robin died out of nowhere. Wally's mom died, too. (She may or may not have hacked into the Watchtower's camera systems, figured out what Wally's problem was, and then watched Stalker beat the crap out of Wally and Roy in Monopoly even though it was his first time playing. And she might've laughed at an awful joke that Artemis' friend relayed from his classmates in history. Apparently, some kid wanted to do a comedic scene for his introduction in his speech on World War One. Something along the lines of, "Oh my god, GAS!" And then a different student commented on it, "Yeah, it was so good it needed a sequel!")

Barbara clicked on the call button, and she held her phone to her ear as she waited for her father to pick up. When he did, he asked, "What's up, honey?"

She breathed out. "So, a lot of things are happening. Everything's good, you know," she rambled, "but I just wanted to say goodnight and that I love you one last time. You know... Just in case," she said.

She heard her father chuckle. "Of course, sweetie. I love you with all my heart, too. Sleep tight, and don't let the bed bugs bite."

Barbara smiled. "I won't," she promised, and then hung up on the call. She sighed and curled up into bed, adjusting the covers around her.

She had a feeling that she'd rest easier tonight.


	14. Chapter 14

**Does anyone else do sequels? Because I'm at the point where I'm more excited to write the sequel, and I've just gotten halfway through this part. Also, someone needs to tell me where I can improve in my action scenes. Because they need improvement.**

"The Source?" Stalker asked incredulously. "I mean, not to be rude, but that sounds like a very uncreative name."

Wally felt himself laugh hollowly as he stared at Robin's plate. "We didn't name the Source," he said.

Stalker showed a gesture of confusion. "You didn't?"

"No, we didn't," Wally said.

"Then who did?" Stalker asked.

Wally shrugged, but his mouth moved faster than his brain. "Project Source. An undercover assignment to test the flexibility of a new source of power never found before. Experiments revealed that the source of power defied logic and natural laws of nature, forming a creature that disobeys rules of physics and other basic laws of learning. Despite being a seemingly abiotic creature of force, the source can learn while simultaneously copying and gathering information from other sources of data, whether it be absorbing computerized information or examples revealed to it through real-time teachings. Using this data, it makes decisions, and is theorized to become an influential decision-maker in the future."

Stalker fell silent before turning to Wally. "I'm not sure what's creepier: The fact that the Source is capable of doing those things, or the fact that you managed to remember _all of that_."

Wally felt himself smirk, despite the fact that they were in front of Robin's hologram. "I take pride in memorizing things in my free time."

Stalker made an unimpressed noise under his breath. "Oh, how I envy you," he said sarcastically.

Wally laughed. "You should," he joked. "With this face, I don't have to hide behind a mask."

Stalker shook his head playfully. "Honey, if you think your face is pretty, don't get me started on my own," Stalker teased.

Wally snorted. "Why, because compared to mine, your face is so bad it doesn't have any words to describe it?"

Stalker Gibbs-slapped him. "Ow," Wally whined as he rubbed the back of his head. "That hurt."

"That was the point, genius," Stalker remarked.

"Yeah, but _geez_ ," Wally complained. "That _hurt_ like hell."

Stalker went still for a second, and Wally was pretty sure he rolled his eyes. "Do you want me to go _Captain America_ on you? And I thought you've had your ribs cracked before. A slap shouldn't be anywhere near as painful."

Wally opened his mouth to retort something, but he was interrupted by a new voice.

"Idiots, stop flirting with each other. Black Canary is calling for you two," Artemis remarked.

Wally raised an eyebrow as he turned to the blonde, his hand still on the back of his neck. "I'm straight," he said bluntly.

Stalker snorted. "Yeah, and that would be just creepy. Walls over here is, what, sixteen? Seventeen? I'm not a pedophile."

Artemis put a hand on her hip. "Well, how old are you then?"

"Old enough to be considered pedophillic," Stalker answered, evading the question slightly.

Artemis rolled her eyes as Stalker walked past her, clearly impatient, but she waited for Wally to pass before she walked with him, side-by-side. She clearly wanted to talk with Wally, and so she dragged her feet as Stalker started moving farther and farther ahead of them. Wally, noticing that she wanted to talk, dragged his feet as well.

They were moving so slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww—

"Something up, Artemis?" Wally asked, oblivious of Artemis' tense shoulders.

Artemis flinched. "Yeah, just fine."

Wally raised an eyebrow. "Just fine," he echoed, unbelieving.

"Yes," Artemis repeated, forcing it past her lips.

"Oh really," Wally said sarcastically. "How believable."

Artemis' frown deepened and she picked up her pace by eighteen notches. "Forget it," she muttered.

"Whoah," Wally said as he barely caught her wrist. "Slow down, would you?"

Artemis glared daggers at him as she turned to face him. "What do you want?"

"What do _you_ want?" Wally countered.

Artemis sneered at him. "I was going to apologize for everything, but I guess that's not happening." She turned, and attempted to pull her wrist out of his grip, but he held on tight. "Would you let _go_ —"

Wally pulled her into a hug, his lanky arms pulling her against his chest.

Her eyes widened, but soon she squirmed. "I don't need your hugs, Kid—"

"Whoever said that I'm doing this for you?" Wally said, immediately cutting her argument into shreds.

She stopped squirming, making herself limp. Reluctantly, she hugged him back. "I'm sorry," she muttered.

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about," Wally said. "I'm the one who's sorry."

A cough broke them a part. Stalker was leaning against a door frame. "Not to ruin the moment or anything, Wally, but we've got things to do."

Wally, embarrassed, coughed into his hand, avoiding Artemis' gaze. "Yeah, right. Let's go."

0o0o0o0

"Seeing as you guys will be in the Watchtower longer than we thought you were going to be, we might as well do some training," Black Canary said.

She was standing in the training room, which was bigger and much more grand than the one in their cave. There were several platforms for different people to train at once. She was standing on one that was on their level, her legs spread shoulder-width apart and her hands on her hips. Wally took notice that Roy was gone. Probably skipping practice, as always.

Black Canary paired them up, (the rest of the Team was already there) and put herself with Zatanna. She looked over to Wally as the rest of them got in their positions. "Wally, are you all healed up?" she asked.

Wally felt the back of his wrist flare up in phantom pain from a couple of days before. He smiled convincingly. "Of course," he said, his voice unwavering.

"Do you want to wait for someone to free up, or do you just want to sit today's lesson out?" Canary asked.

Wally was about to respond when he heard Stalker speak up beside him. "I can train with him instead," he said.

Black Canary looked to the man. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Of course," she said icily. "Be careful not to hurt him," she added, staring through his soul. Stalking off, she made her way to Zatanna, who looked at their interaction curiously.

Wally looked at Stalker curiously, who shrugged. "Ready?" the other asked, and Wally nodded and smirked.

"Try to keep up, would you?"

0o0o0o0

Wally groaned as he stood up again, his head pounding. "God, did you have to kick me that hard?" he whined, and Stalker chuckled.

He went back into a fighting stance, and Wally rubbed his sore skull again before doing the same. Wally paused, waiting to see if Stalker would make the first move again.

In that moment, time seemed to slow down, and Wally felt a droplet of sweat roll down his nose. His muscles taught, Wally stood completely still as he waited for his opponent to move. He heard the ventilation system shudder, and the rhythmic sound of Aqualad's water bearers hitting steel, but there was no noise from the inside of his body to throw him off. No irregular heartbeat. Just the lightning-fast motion of his thoughts being sent and received in the synapses of his brain, giving his body the ability to move with it.

Pure silence. Wally exhaled in breath, his diaphragm deflating to bring his chest down, and felt his balance shift ever so slightly on the balls of his feet. Waiting, he watched unblinkingly as Stalker's finger twitched. Deafening absence of sound.

Wally instantaneously ducked beneath the fist aimed at him, the balled-up gloved hand a hair's breath from his face. He quickly reached out and grabbed Stalker's forearm, twisting it and bringing it downwards. Wally brought his knee up and hit Stalker in the chin, and the man stumbled backwards. Stalker used the momentum to gracefully do a one-handed back handspring, keeping the arm that Wally tugged on close to his chest.

Wally wondered in momentary confusion why Stalker avoided using that arm so much.

Stalker rolled that shoulder and then bounded forwards, fluidly aiming a roundhouse kick for Wally's face. Wally leaned backwards on the balls of his feet, watching the extremity pass by his face with wide eyes. Seeing Stalker's opening, Wally aimed a punch at his stomach, only to feel his fist grabbed by Stalker. The older man twisted his body along with the movement of his attack, and he grabbed Wally's other arm. Using their momentum, Stalker flung Wally around and onto the floor.

Wally, using the speed, ducked and rolled before twisting his form around to face his opponent. Quickly standing up, he used his forearm to block a lightning-quick punch aimed at his face. He moved to the right to dodge another strike. Crouching, he made his weak points smaller by making his defense tighter. He rushed forwards, swinging an elbow into Stalker's side.

The man grunted and faltered backwards but didn't back down. Wally aimed another swipe for Stalker's head, but he ducked and swept Wally's feet out from under him. Wally's back hit the ground, and he groaned as the air was knocked out of him. He attempted to get back up, but he was too late as Stalker grabbed his arms and twisted his body around, an arm like an iron bar wrapped around his throat. Wally thrashed as his already short breath was knocked out of him, and he attempted to gasp in unavailable breaths.

Time slowed down again as his weak hands wrestled for release. _Think clearly_ , he thought.

"Uncle or a pat will do," Stalker said, but Wally wasn't having any of it.

Wally noticed that, in order to put him in a chokehold from when he was on the ground, Stalker had to lean over ever so slightly. He hadn't stood up just yet. That slight angle was good enough for Wally.

Wally let out another cough before he slammed the heels of his feet into Stalker's toes while, at the same time, snapping his head back to hit Stalker's. A horrible crunching sound ensued, and Stalker cursed as his grip loosened. Wally pulled himself out of Stalker's hold, his knees hitting the ground painfully. He scrambled up and pivoted on the spot, arms up to defend any more hits from his opponent.

He wasn't expecting a double roundhouse kick. The first he blocked, but the second landed on his jaw. He winced at the contact, already feeling a bruise coming.

It was then that Wally noticed the pattern. _High kick_.

Wally didn't even blink when Stalker's leg came up, though he was surprised when he felt himself dodge it with ease and knee Stalker in the stomach. Taking him off balance with only one of his legs on the ground, Wally watched as Stalker staggered back, falling to the ground. He didn't stay down for long, however.

Without the use of his hands, he jumped up, only to have himself on his hands and knees when Wally swiped his feet out from under him. Wally pressed his hand on Stalker's back, pressing him down to the ground as his leg snaked around Stalker's throat. His neck was pressed against the inside of Wally's knee, and Wally pulled his leg tighter around his throat. Stalker wheezed, almost out of breath.

Wally, gasping for his own breath, spoke loud and clear. "Uncle or a pat will do," Wally mocked, and he tightened his grip even further.

After a few seconds, Stalker slapped his hand on the ground several times. Wally released his hold on Stalker's throat, and the man gasped behind his mask. For a second, the two laid on the ground until Wally stood up. He faltered, his head spinning as vertigo struck him. He felt a hand on his shoulder as he held his head in his hand.

After a few seconds, he felt something being shoved into his hands. "Here," the person said. "Eat this."

Wally, after fumbling with the package, opened up the nature bar before he started to eat it. Immediately he started feeling better, although the dizziness still remained.

"You okay?" someone asked, and he looked up to see Batgirl's concerned face.

"Uh, yeah," he said. "I think I forgot to eat recently." He blinked as another spell hit him, but it was soon over. "Thanks."

She merely clapped him on the shoulder before facing Stalker, who was still laying on the floor.

"And you?"

Stalker raised a single hand as a response.

From the corner of his hand, Wally noticed Superboy's eyes narrow.

"You don't use your left arm that much, do you?" he asked, and Stalker stiffened.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Stalker asked.

Superboy glared daggers at him. "You didn't use your left arm the entire battle, and whenever it was hit, you were caught off guard easily and took several hits."

Stalker stood up an rolled his left shoulder. "It's actually my shoulder that hurts, but yes, I don't use it," he said.

"Why not?" Wally asked, feeling his pride get slightly stung. He barely won, but now his opponent was confessing to going easy on him?

Stalker shrugged. "Got shot about a month or more ago. Never healed correctly."

Wally's eyes narrowed. A month or more.

"Why didn't it heal correctly?" Batgirl asked. Wally could tell that she was thinking the same thing.

"I think something on the bullet. It was covered in some solution made in Metropolis labs," Stalker said. "Now can you stop interrogating me? I need a break. I feel like speedy over here damaged my vocal cords."

Wally's eyes narrowed, and he looked over to Batgirl. She had the same look on her face.

 _The same solution that cancels out powers of controlling. Shot a month ago, when the birds went back to normal._

Wally gave Batgirl a look. She nodded, her chin bobbing the slightest bit in understanding, but she didn't say anything in fear of drawing attention to the two. Superboy noticed, however.

And so did Black Canary.


	15. Chapter 15

Stalker was surprised when he found himself sitting in the interrogation room at two in the morning, long past when the Team were in bed. Martian Manhunter had escorted him in the room, his face grim. He sat him in the seat facing the wall in which the mirror sat upon. He already knew that the mirror on the wall was really a one-way glass, but if they thought he was stupid, all the better.

His arms were in front of him, linked together with handcuffs. The flimsy metal was the only thing keeping him from going rampant, wasn't it? Well, that was what they thought. He wouldn't argue with them, though.

How _amusing_ this all was _._

The door opened, and Black Canary stepped in. Her eyes were hardened, and her scowl was obviously present when she took her seat across from him.

Oh, _yes_. She knew exactly what was going on since the previous morning. No wonder she was so pissed when he asked if he could spar with Wally.

He was grinning under his mask, not that anyone could see it. There was a reason he didn't make his face visible from the outside. He would be too easy to read.

And the League wasn't the only people who could work with one-way viewing materials.

"Let's start simple," she said. "Who are you?"

"Someone you know," he replied.

Black Canary slammed her hand on the table. She was usually very sweet, but he could see why she wasn't happy. "I don't know why Batman thought it was a good idea to let you in when there is enough evidence to put you in jail, but I'm not going to let you get away with this," she hissed.

Stalker tilted his head. "What evidence?" he asked innocently.

"You know what I'm talking about," she said icily.

Stalker shrugged. "I don't," he said. "Care to tell me?"

Her face turned stony, and she leaned back in her chair. Staring him up and down, she finally decided what she wanted to ask. "Why did you want to get into the Watchtower?" she asked.

Stalker raised an eyebrow, though she couldn't see it. "Because anyone would be stupid to refuse the offer?"

"What information did you want?" she suddenly asked, and Stalker found himself almost shocked.

She knew exactly where he was heading, and she was not fooling around.

He almost chuckled, but he managed to hold it back. "Why would I want information?"

She looked furious. "Don't treat me like an idiot," she spat.

Stalker sighed. "Look," he said, trying to sounds sincere, "just tell me what you mean by "evidence." Maybe we can figure something out."

Canary's gaze bore into his soul. "Your entrance to the Team," she said.

"What about it?" Stalker asked, but he was smiling to himself.

"You blew up one of the lower floors."

"And?"

"You killed a person and severely injured six more. One's still in a coma."

"They were villains, were they not? And the Team was in danger," Stalker countered.

"They weren't even on the same floor! You could have easily ignored them!" Canary exclaimed her frustration.

"Look, if you're supporting your entire argument on my style of getting the job done, then I'm leaving," Stalker said as he stood up.

"You're a murderer," she spat.

Stalker shrugged. "I already know that. Now, if you please," he said, ready to walk away.

"Sit your ass down," she snapped. "I'm not done with you."

Stalker turned to her. "I thought you were supposed to be child-friendly. And yet, here you are, cursing away."

Canary scowled. "Sit," she ordered.

Stalker sighed but sat back down in his chair. He laid his wrists flat out on the table. "What do you want from me?" he asked, his voice finally serious.

"I want the truth," she said.

"No, you don't," he retorted. "You want to satisfy your curiosity." He laughed hollowly. "There's no way you want the truth. The truth hurts too much."

"I can handle the truth," she spat.

"You can handle it, certainly. Anyone can handle a truth. Handling and accepting are two different things, sweetie," Stalker said.

She fell silent for a moment. "You're playing with me," she whispered as it dawned on her.

Stalker laughed. "Darling, I've been winning this game longer than you've been playing it."

"Why does Batman trust you, despite everything?" Canary asked.

Stalker leaned back in his chair. "Now you want answers, after I've told you that you don't have any."

"I've always wanted answers," she retorted.

Stalker shook his head. "Of course you do. Always to protect the world, am I right?" He tilted his head in the direction of where the Team's bedrooms were. "Or, perhaps, you grew attached to them? Is that why you've grown so adamant?"

"Shut up," Canary said.

Stalker knew he hit a nerve.

"Oh, but I'm right, aren't I? Such sweet little kids. You've grown fond of them since their little group making. How cute," he said.

Her hand balled into a fist.

"I see now. That's what this is all about. Not about saving the world, or about satisfying your curiosity. It's all for a bunch of immature teenagers," he mocked. "Teenagers that you couldn't live without if your life depended on it. How weak of you, to stoop so low."

"I said shut up!" she hissed, her jaw clenched tight. "This isn't about them."

"Oh, but it is." He paused for a moment. "What a mother," he said softly, clucking at her shaking, raging form. "How weak you are in the face of a child. It's amazing how devastated you were when you thought that you couldn't save Wally from the amount of blood loss he suffered from." Stalker hummed a little tune. "Perhaps you should act as Wally's mother more often."

Canary, whose blonde hair fell in waves over her shaded face as she stared at her lap in an effort to calm herself, felt shock run through her.

"Wh-what?" she asked, confused. Anger momentarily slipped from her.

"Oh? You haven't heard?" Stalker said mockingly. "I'm surprised that Flash here didn't blabber about it to everyone," he said as he stared past the mirror and to the red-clad hero. "I heard he likes to talk about everything to anyone who will listen."

"Get to the point, Stalker," Canary snapped.

Stalker looked at the Leaguer's fury-filled face. Something flickered inside of him. Guilt? No, there was no way that he would feel guilty. Like hell he was guilty.

Like hell.

"Wally's mom died," he said, amusement clear in his voice. He felt it again. Like something was trying to tell him that that was wrong of him.

He squashed it under his thumb.

Black Canary looked like she'd been slapped. She swallowed heavily, as if deciding what was more important. For a moment, she looked lost, like she didn't know where to step and where she could be going. But then her eyes hardened, and she straightened her shoulders.

And there it was. She decided answers over her priority to make sure that all her "children" were all right.

She would come to regret that.

"What is it that you're looking for?" she asked, her patience running thin.

"And why would I tell you that?" Stalker retorted.

Canary slammed her hand on the table, standing up from her perch on the chair. "Tell me, or I swear to everything that's holy I will kill you," she snarled.

Stalker smirked. "Oh, how ignorant of you to say that—"

"Your handwriting matched the one on the note!" she retaliated.

Stalker felt his smile widen. _Finally_ , he thought, _some facts_. "What note?" he asked, just to wear her patience thinner.

"The one that _you_ dropped after _you_ shot Wally," she spat. "The one where _you_ said that the Team were sitting ducks at Mt. Justice! The one where _you_ threatened to murder the entire Team!" she shrieked.

Stalker felt a snicker leave him, and then a full-blown laugh. A petite hand wrapped its way around his throat.

"You will tell me what the hell you want and who you are, or else I'll kill you in the most damningly painful way possible," she snarled.

Stalker chuckled again. He grabbed her hand, forcing her to release her throat. Squeezing the appendage, she gave him no sign that she was in pain, even when he felt several of the bones crack under the pressure. He stood up, making himself tower over her. He leaned over to her, their faces inches apart.

"Kill me? Honey, if you knew how much it hurt to die, you wouldn't say anything about killing _anyone_ ," he whispered harshly. "Do you know what it's like? To feel as if every bone in your body is being worn down like cheese in a grater? Do you know what it's like, to feel as if every one of your molecules is being ripped apart, piece by piece?

 _"Do you know what it's like, to look in the mirror and realize you're dead?"_

Black Canary gasped and ripped herself out of his grip, her eyes wide. Her hand was bleeding and purple from Stalker's tight hold on it. She clenched her jaw. "Who the hell do you think you are?" she spat.

"I could ask the same of you," Stalker retorted. "All of you, actually. Heroes are what they call you. I give you credit, you chase some of the worst criminals in human history and put them in a cell. And yet, someone who murders only one person can get the death sentence if it's gruesome enough. And you let criminals, who have killed thousands of innocent lives, mind you, sit in a cell where they can just as easily leave whenever they want.

"You make people rely on you for the simplest of things, corrupting the government, the police forces, and any other political authorities that can get their grubby hands on your figures of power. You tell the world that you save them, and yet you live by the rule of no killing." Stalker laughed. "I think you would be surprised how many hundreds of thousands of lives you could save a year if you killed a dozen. I think you'd be surprised how many fewer criminals there'd be if you killed off some of them, making them aware that the job isn't all fun and games."

Canary's figure tensed, as if she was ready if Stalker were to attack her. She watched him carefully to make sure he wouldn't try to escape her advantage. "Sure, kill a few people. Then have the entire world on our tails, looking down on us for being murderers. We'd be hypocritical."

Stalker shook his head. "You know, Canary? I thought you actually understood. Do you know how many children die a year due to your incapabilities to go through with a kill?"

Canary faltered. "That's..." she started, but she was cut off by Stalker.

"Do you know how many get tortured before they get the relief of finally dying?" Stalker asked, his voice sharp and dark.

"Why do you care?" Canary spat. "You don't even like children."

"No," Stalker said. "I don't. But I was one of them. And I never got the relief at the end of several years' worth of mental and physical agony."

"That doesn't make it the League's fault though!" Canary said.

"Oh?" Stalker asked.

His suit started to shrink, the plated armor dwindling in size. The torso thinned out, and his legs grew shorter and shorter. His shoulders grew less broad, and his arms lost their muscle. Canary watched, eyes wide and face pale, until it finally stopped changing. The handcuffs, too big for his wrists, fell to the floor with a clang. Canary instantly figured it out. The suit changed, but not the body. And she knew who was under the mask. Finally, the helmet dissipated.

"But isn't it, BC?" Stalker asked, his voice much clearer.

Canary felt her mouth go dry. "B-but," she stuttered, and she fell forwards, his hands hitting the table. "You..."

"Died?" Stalker asked, his brilliant azure eyes sparkling with hidden emotion. He smirked. "Oh yes, I quite remember Wally's painful shrieks as I disappeared." He tilted his head to the side.

"Where was the League when everything holy went to hell, Canary?" he mocked.

Canary blinked, but before she could get a response in, Stalker lifted a hand up. His uncovered eyes lit up, and a glowing substance appeared from beneath Stalker's shoes. Like a second hand that followed Stalker's movements, the glowing substance wrapped its end around her throat, dangling her in the air. She choked, desperate for breath. Scratching at the substance, she gained no ground.

Her face turned pink, and she made several gargling noises. Stalker flicked his hand, and the substance threw her through the one-way glass, the mirror shattering on impact. She hit the opposite wall from the secret room, spiderweb cracks making their way throughout the walls. She fell forward, hitting the floor.

The Flash, who had been standing there in shock, flinched when Stalker jumped in through the broken window. The hero stared at him with wide eyes.

"Robin?" he asked brokenly.

Stalker turned his head, his smirk widening.

"Flash!" Martian Manhunter called. "You have to fight him. He is dangero—" The martian called out in agony, gripping his head.

Stalker laughed. "You shouldn't have tried to delve into my mind, martian," Stalker said. "After everything that's happened, there's no way that you could read into my thoughts."

Flash stared at the teenage boy. "You... Wally..."

"Flash!" Martian Manhunter called out in pain.

Flash shook himself out of it, rushing forwards. With intense speed, he quickly punched Stalker in the chest, ready for some kind of resistance.

Stalker just let it come, and when it did, it phased right through him. Flash's arm made it in one end and out the other, but Stalker wasn't even fazed by the events.

Flash stopped in his tracks, and he felt his heart shatter. Just like that. Stalker smirked and threw his own punch, this one landing Flash square in the face. The older man, struck with grief, hit the floor. He pushed his arms underneath him, ready to get back up, only to have Stalker hit him in the head with enough force to knock the fight out of him.

Stalker paused, almost starting to leave the room when he turned to the Martian, who was still on the ground, suffering from whatever was going on in his mind.

He pursed his lips. "You have no idea what it's like," he whispered.

He was gone.


	16. Chapter 16

**Ashuri: Oh, how you amuse me. Your language does not bother me—there is no need to pardon yourself. As for your prediction, I applaud you for figuring it out. I'm glad that you can barely wait; your excitement propels me to update as quick as possible. But, still... Nah, I won't mention it, actually. That'd be spoilers. You just keep on believing on what you want to believe. Mwahahaha!**

"Where's Roy?" Wally asked.

Flash hesitated. He was holding an ice pack to his bruised jaw while Black Canary stood beside him. Her hand was in a makeshift cast while she was wearing something small around her neck.

"Wally," she said, her voice cracking. It was clear she was trying to speak the loudest she could, and yet her words were no louder than a whisper. The damage to her throat was enough to keep her from speaking for a while.

Wally's face turned into a scowl. "No, Canary. I want to know what the hell happened to him."

Flash swallowed heavily, and he nervously shifted from one foot to another. He glanced briefly around the room. "Well..." He trailed off. He was obviously at a loss for words.

"Kid Flash," Martian Manhunter said gently, "we are still recovering. You are still recovering as well. Your mental health would not benefit from knowing so soon. And we are in no shape to explain the events that occurred this morning."

Wally opened his mouth to retort, but his uncle cut him off. "Well, perhaps we can..." He fidgeted.

Black Canary's eyes narrowed. "Flash," she whispered in warning, but her words were too soft to hear.

"The cameras," Flash stammered.

"Flash," Canary repeated, her words more like an exhale.

"They would have picked up everything that happe—"

"Flash!" Black Canary wheezed, her voice coming out in a sort of shrill, uneven exclamation. She gasped from the effort, her cheeks pink as she started coughing. The simple reflex alone was enough to make her eyes water, and her face twisted up in agony from the pain.

Flash immediately shut up and left the room in a blink of an eye, returning with a glass of water. He rubbed her shoulder gently as she took the cup of water from him. Lifting the glass up to her lips, she only let little bits of the liquid into her mouth at one time. She swallowed the small amount she could bring herself to drink. It relieved her itchy throat, but Wally could see that the simple act of swallowing was painful. She brushed the small tears from the corner of her eyes with a single swipe of her fingers.

"Sorry," Flash muttered as he took the glass of water back from her. He gently pushed her into the direction of the med bay. "You've had a long day. Go get some sleep," he said. The blonde sullenly nodded in agreement before trudging her way to her temporary bed, out of sight.

Flash turned around to meet Wally's hard gaze. He glanced behind his nephew's shoulder to the Team and a few League members—Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman—before he finally settled on looking to Martian Manhunter. "The video footage," he said again, his voice pleading.

Martian Manhunter sighed. "Of course," he agreed, but he was obviously unhappy.

Flash disappeared and reappeared, a small monitor in hand. His fingers danced across the touch screen before he turned to Batman. "Do you want to see it first?" he asked quietly, holding the technology out to the other Leaguer.

Batman was quiet for a second before he finally spoke. "I've already seen it," he said curtly.

Flash blinked. "You've..."

"Yes," Batman said. The Leaguer was unusually tense, and he stared Wally down. "Give it to your nephew," he finally said, "he deserves to see it for himself." Batman left the darker corner of the already-crowded room before leaving himself.

"Where are you going?" Flash asked, fear evident in his voice.

"Black Canary," was his only response, to which Flash frowned.

Flash held the monitor in a tight grip, his face pale. His hesitance was obvious, and it was starting to grate on Wally's nerves.

"Flash," Wally said hotly, "just give me the dang thing."

Wally could feel the stares of his team on his back, but he didn't let it get to him. He was tired of the League sheltering him from the truth. He wanted to know what they were keeping from him, why he was such in a weak position, and _where the hell Roy was._

Martian Manhunter placed a hand on Wally's shoulder as he spoke to the people behind him. "We would like to be left alone, if you could please leave."

Wally refused to turn around, instead continuing to face his nervous uncle.

"I suppose we will talk about this later, correct?" Wonder Woman asked.

"Yes," Flash said, his gaze flickering to Wally for a second.

"We will be with Batman if you need to see us," Superman said. Their two footsteps echoed throughout the room before they disappeared in the enveloping silence.

Wally crossed his arms over his chest, hugging himself as the awkwardness settled.

"Does that mean we're going to be left in the dark?" a voice asked, and Wally recognized it as Batgirl's voice. She sounded disappointed.

"We'll show you exactly what we're showing Wally," Flash quickly said. "But this needs to be private."

After a moment of silence, "I understand. We will leave you alone until further orders are received," Aqualad said.

He heard the Team leave the same way that they had come in through. He waited for a few more seconds before getting to the point.

"Are you going to show me now?" Wally asked.

Flash hesitated, his fingers drumming against the monitor. However, after a firm look from Wally, he hesitantly gave the younger speedster the tech. Wally held it in his hands, quickly turning the device on. He glanced at the video, noticing that it was a bunch of different scenes spliced together.

"You didn't cut anything important out, did you?" Wally asked.

"No. I just took the footage from different cameras and put them together." He swallowed heavily. "And jumped forward a couple minutes at the part you want to see."

Wally hesitated. "Stalker's not the good person this time, is he?"

Flash shrugged. "At this point, I question the line between the right and wrong," he muttered to himself.

Wally finally turned around, not having heard Flash's words. His back was to his uncle and the martian. He found himself a spot on the couch he had taken previously when he'd gotten high off of speedster drugs.

"You don't have to do this, you know," Flash said. "I can't control you, but..."

Wally ignored him. He was quick to play the video. His eyes moved quickly as he took in the scene, noting the clean, bare interrogation room. Stalker was leaning back in his chair, his hands folded neatly across his lap in mock respect. Black Canary soon entered after, her shoulders stiff and form straight. She was a soldier; a warrior ready for a fight for answers, and she was determined to get them.

Almost immediately the two started off, participating in a battle of the wits. Quip after quip ensued. Canary was angry, even livid, but Stalker seemed lax and borderline amused. He took notice how the two bantered, and how Stalker always turned the conversation back into his favor. How he refused to answer any of Black Canary's questions.

Black Canary slammed her hand on the table. The sound echoed in his eardrums, and he flinched. It was unlike her to be so harsh.

Stalker laughed. It was different than normal, however. Not his quiet chuckle, or sharp laughter.

It sounded haunted.

 _"Do you know what it's like, to look in the mirror and realize you're dead?"_

Wally felt himself grow pale. His hands felt colder than before, if that was even possible, and his eyes widened slightly. The emotional numbness that crawled from the depths of his heart spread throughout the rest of his mind.

 _"How nice of you to join me," Stalker said._

 _"What the- Stalker, how did you..." Roy stammered, his eyes just as wide as Wally's. "... Robin?"_

 _Stalker grinned. "I needed someone to help me with my little problem. But now that you're here, everything can be settled," he said._

 _"What do you even mea-"_

Roy was cut off by a taser gun being thrusted into his stomach, sending shocks throughout his body. He attempted to scream, but a cloth was put over his mouth. Wally watched as Roy breathed deeply from the shocks. The cloth most likely had chloroform on it, and it lulled the archer to a forced sleep.

 _"Shh," Stalker said. "I can't have my hostage alerting to everyone that he's being kidnapped, now can I?"_

Stalker easily picked up the unconscious adult and threw him over his shoulder, seemingly unaffected by the weight of the other male. Stalker posed, sticking his hip out as he blew a kiss to the camera. He then easily hacked into the zeta tubes, teleporting the two silently away.

The video ended.

Wally blinked once. Then twice. "Th-there's no way," he said. "There's no way that he's him. Robin died years ago. He died—" Wally choked out, falling silent as the device slipped through his hands and hit the ground. Wally put his head in his hands, his voice muffled and his shoulders shaking. "He died right in front of me," Wally sobbed.

"Oh god," Flash said to himself as he pulled the cowl off of his face, instantly becoming Barry Allen, worried uncle and parental figure. Barry sat next to Wally on the couch, pulling the crying teen closer to him. "Wally..." He sighed. "I told you that you wouldn't want to see it," he muttered as he placed his chin on the top of Wally's head.

Wally hiccuped. "It's lies," he said between pauses.

"Wally," Barry started, "I don't want to say it, but it's tru—"

"No, it's not!" Wally said, furiously wiping his eyes as Barry continued to hold him. "Robin would never do that."

Barry sighed. "Please—"

"No!" Wally said, attempting to push Barry away with weak arms. "Robin _promised_. He _promised_ me that he would never go bad," Wally said, tears streaming faster down his face. "He _promised_ ," he whispered brokenly. Wally's breath hitched several times as Barry grabbed his wrists. The teen stopped struggling and went limp into his uncle's arms, his sobs growing louder. He placed his forehead on Barry's collarbone as he dampened his shirt with his tears.

Barry hugged him tighter. "Oh, Wallace," he murmured, running a hand through his nephew's hair. He glanced up to see that J'onn was respectfully keeping his distance, pretending to be interested in something else.

"He _promised_ ," Wally repeated dully, his tears slowing.

"I know, I know," Barry said. He rubbed Wally's back in circular motions with his hand. "I'm so sorry," he murmured.

Wally nodded slightly, and Barry noticed that he was curling up smaller and smaller into himself until he almost looked like a child again. Wally's ear was on his chest, listening half-heartedly to the rhythmic sound of his uncle's heartbeat. After a few more minutes, Barry deemed it safe to talk.

"He fell asleep," Barry said quietly.

J'onn waited before he responded. "That was partially my fault," he admitted slowly. "His frazzled state of mind caused him to get exhausted, and it was giving me a headache. I just gave his mind a little shove into unconsciousness, using your heartbeat as a factor."

Barry seemed interested at the statement. "Heartbeat?"

"He seems to have an unhealthy obsession over it," the martian said. "But for good reason."

Barry nodded before sighing. "Alright. Could you show the recording to the Team, and then WW and Superman? I need to bring Wally to his room."

"Wouldn't it be easier to reveal the recording to them at the same time?" J'onn asked as he used his telekinesis to grab the monitor again.

"Yes," Barry agreed, "it would. But we need to talk about it with the others, and I don't want interference from the Team." Barry picked Wally up bridal style.

"You speak of them as if they are a nuisance," J'onn said.

"They aren't," Barry said. "But they don't seem to understand that they could die. For good. And I can't let them get one of their bright ideas so they can go and get themselves killed."

"I'm afraid to say that I disagree," J'onn said. "I think they know exactly that they could die, just that they want to be treated as equals when they cannot physically or mentally handle that stress with their young minds."

Barry frowned. "Well," he said aggravated, "either way, they better quickly learn that we're trying to keep them from getting scarred for life. And they better learn that we're not just doing it for _their_ safety, either." Barry turned to leave.

J'onn crossed his arms. "Are you suggesting that they cannot handle taking on enemies? That they drag down the League?"

Barry snapped as he twisted around. "Look, J'onn, I don't know about you, or the rest of the League for that matter, but if anything, _anything_ happened to Wally," he fumed, "you might as well just kill me then. I don't even know how Batman can handle this." He gestured wildly in the direction of his colleague. "His tutee, his _kid_ , got killed, and he could _nothing_ about it. And now he comes back, blaming his own father figure for not saving him." Barry felt his face grow hot as he continued to speak.

"Robin loved him. And now Batman has to live with the fact that the person he took in with wide open arms now despises him." Barry felt tears prick the corner of his eyes. "I don't know how you feel about your niece, J'onn—maybe I'm just an emotional person," Barry said, "but if Wally died, you might as well dig two graves. One for him, and one for me. Just throw me in there and bury me alive if that's what it takes, I would take it in stride. And nothing, _nothing_ you say will convince me otherwise." Barry turned around, cradling Wally closer to his chest before he left the room, slamming the door behind him.

J'onn stood in place for a second. He closed his eyes. "Humans," he muttered. "So stupid, and yet some of the most extraordinary species in the entire universe. How I envy your ability to be so compassionate."

He opened his eyes and sighed. "And yet it already seems that your sensitivity has rubbed on me."

0o0o0o0

Wally's eyes fluttered open as he started to wake up. Blinking hard, he squinted as an unwelcome light brought him out of his sleep. Groaning, he slowly sat up. He was in his room. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed he was previously sleeping on, he held a hand up to his pounding head.

He felt an arm snake around him, pulling him closer to the person on his left. The muscular form of his uncle made Wally feel like a little kid as Barry held him into his chest. Wally had some muscle, but he always felt small when Barry ever came close to him. His uncle was much more heavily built than he was.

"I can't believe I feel asleep," Wally muttered as he rubbed his face tiredly.

Barry rubbed his shoulder. "It's alright. Martian Manhunter told me you were exhausted. I'm guessing that you haven't got any good night's rest recently."

Wally shrugged lamely. "You could say that," he said. For a moment, the two just sat there in silence, soaking up on another's company. Wally enjoyed it, the mutual friendship settling lightly in the quiet.

The only times he and his father had quiet moments were when the man was ignoring him, usually either too ashamed for hurting him a previous night or stewing in anger from work. And the few times that they did have father and son moments, they were playing a cliché game of basketball or such, which often left the two's throats hoarse from getting competitive.

Not that Wally knew what it was like to talk too much.

"You're thinking about something," Barry observed.

Wally swung his legs. "Yeah," came his one-word answer.

His uncle was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, "about the whole Robin and Stalker incident."

Wally opened his mouth to argue, but he closed it when he saw the certainty in his uncle's eyes. There wasn't any use to arguing with him. "Yeah," he whispered again.

Barry sighed through his nose. "Wally?"

"Yes, Uncle Barry?"

"You know you can talk to me about anything if you need to," he said. "I... know that your mother's death has been hard on you recently."

Wally's eyes flickered to the bedside table where his mom's letters remained. He felt the sudden urge to speak his mind, and to confess to his uncle everything that had happened to him in the past few weeks. But then the image of a disappointed Barry flashed across his mind.

He wouldn't believe him. He'd take Ruddy's story and excuses instead.

He felt Barry's eyes on him, staring through his soul. He'd wait another year or two, when he turned eighteen and could get out of high school. When he was a responsible adult and he did not have to worry about Ruddy's anger.

"I know," he said instead. "I'll talk to you if anything comes up."

For a moment, Wally swore that Barry looked disappointed, but then it was gone. "Alright." Barry coughed awkwardly. "I must talk to the other League members. I'll try to see you later." And then The Flash was gone, leaving Wally back alone.

It was cold.

0o0o0o0

"I'm not sure what's worse," Artemis said to the Team. "The fact that that's Robin, or the fact that it's Robin and he was the cause of all this shit."

M'gann blinked. "What does that word mean?" she asked innocently.

Artemis gave her a look. "It's a word you shouldn't be repeating."

M'gann's eyes lit up. "Oh, okay!" She saluted. "I promise I won't say it anytime in the future!"

Raquel blinked. "Did you just..."

"Salute?" Zatanna finished.

M'gann nodded happily. "Yessiree! I heard that it is popular to do so in modern human culture! Something about it being based off of the military..."

Artemis looked at her with a deadpan expression. "Yessiree," she echoed. "Never thought I'd hear that from a Martian."

Batgirl wasn't paying attention to any of them. Instead, she was rewatching the video for the fifth time her hands placed on either side of the monitor. Her eyes remained locked on the screen. Kaldur stood beside her.

"It doesn't make sense," the bat said to him without looking up. "Batman told me all about him, and this doesn't..." She fell silent.

Kaldur sighed from his nose. "I know it is hard, my friend."

Conner appeared beside the two, his footsteps light and indistinguishable with all the noise going around the Team. He remained silent for a moment, as if he was trying to figure out what he wanted to say. "He is angry," he said.

Batgirl finally looked up, staring at the clone. "Yes," she finally said. "He is angry."

The clone stepped closer to the two, looking over her shoulder to see Stalker jab Roy with his taser. The archer fell, and Stalker threw the man over his shoulder.

"Why?" Conner asked.

Batgirl shrugged, looking back at the screen. "I don't know. For a multitude of reasons, I guess."

Conner stared at Stalker as the video ended. "He is angry, but we don't know why," he said slowly.

Batgirl grew impatient and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. "Yes," she forced out. "He is angry, and we aren't positive why."

"Revenge," a new voice said. The three turned to face Artemis, who stood a few feet away from them, her hands on her hips. She didn't seem aware that their attention was on her. "People who are abandoned try to find their way back to those who they think care. However, if it seems like those people are not looking as well, that they are not prepared to welcome them back with open arms, or that they've been replaced, then they become angry." Her gaze traveled to Batgirl, who had her arms crossed over her chest. Her fingers were digging into her arms. "And then that anger festers into a hatred, even if those who care really _are_ looking for them. It's all about seeing," she said. "Not really what happens."

Batgirl felt her calm front crumble. "I didn't mean to do it!" she snapped. "I just wanted to help people. It isn't my fault that Batman agreed to take me in. And I never replaced Robin, never could." She felt all the bitter words spill from her mouth before she could reign them in. The other members of the Team who were debating about some other topic fell silent almost immediately. "All I was to him was a temporary sidekick. One that he could use to help further himself in crime fighting and away from the pain that Robin's so-called death caused him. If Stalker revealed that he was Robin any earlier, then Batman would have taken him in and I would have been thrown away," she said bitterly.

Raquel's eyes widened. "Batgirl, that wouldn't happen," she argued. "Batman's a good guy, he'd ne—"

"Don't even pull that shit on me," Batgirl snapped. "Batman's no good guy. Just because he beats up the bad guys doesn't mean that he's automatically a good person." Batgirl felt herself blink back tears. "Go ahead and say what you want about me, but I know that everyone who's seen Robin just sees me as a replacement." She laughed brokenly. "Just ask Wally."

Artemis stared at her. "Even if you are a replacement," she said, "you're hella better than any other bat that we could've gotten. But even so, I am not going to just let Robin do this to himself."

"What Artemis said," Conner said. "I know what it's like to be angry for mistakes that could not be helped." He gave Batgirl the smallest of smiles. "I want to help him. But if he comes into the Team or joins up with Batman again, I'll call him Batgirl #2."

"Agreed," Zatanna said. "Just because he had a prior affiliation with Batman, that doesn't mean he deserves to be granted the ability to replace you. We'll treat him like a criminal if that's what it takes. But you're Batgirl. Not partner #2. Not another Robin. Not even Batman's sidekick." She grinned. "You're kick-butt batsy." She shrugged nonchalantly. "You just happen to have had influence from a gothamite or two."

"Yeah!" M'gann said. "We can always accept new people, but that doesn't mean they'll just be another you. We're all different!"

Batgirl's lips were stretched into a thin line.

Raquel slung an arm around her shoulders. "Mission: convert Robin to the good side while making sure that Batgirl stays in the spotlight where she belongs is a go?" she asked jokingly.

Kaldur stared at his teammates before smiling. "Soon," he said. His smile faded. "But first, we have another member of our team to bring back into the spotlight."

Raquel frowned. "Wally," she said.

Kaldur nodded. "Batgirl." He paused. "My friend. I will not force you to do anything you are not comfortable with. But we need you for many different reasons. And many of those include simply being with the Team alone, not even your skills of expertise. And I need you to speak with Wally as soon as possible." He paused again. "You are closer to him than any of us. More so than even Robin. And I need you to get him back onto his feet. He is an irreplaceable member of the team."

Batgirl avoided his gaze for a long time. She was thoughtful for a moment, and then her face formed into a sharp determination.

"Of course," she said, and Artemis smiled when she saw the bat put her troubles behind her.

Kaldur nodded. "Thank you, my friend. It would be best if you could do so by the end of this week."

Batgirl grinned. "I think I can do you one better."

0o0o0o0

The four League members were sitting in the MedBay, their chairs forming a half-circle. Their backs were to the sleeping form of Black Canary.

Wonder Woman frowned. "I think we should tell the rest of the League. Even if only a warning. He can be extremely dangerous."

"I'm not quite sure about that," Superman said dubiously. "Martian Manhunter says that the only reason he managed to take them out was because of the element of surprise. And because Flash was not on his game."

The red-clad speedster had the decency to look embarrassed for the fact that it was true.

"Indeed. However, I will not hesitate to admit that there was something wrong with his mind. The minute I tried to read it, I was granted with a lasting pain that refused to go away. And the simple waves that his brain emitted were enough to weaken me," J'onn said.

"And that is what concerns me," Wonder Woman said. "We can't just let this guy out on the loose. Who knows what other powers he has? He's already capable of taking out three of our League members. And he also managed to kidnap Roy without our noticing. Surprise or no surprise, he is dangerous."

Superman crossed his arms. "Wonder Woman, this "guy" is a fifteen-year-old kid seeking revenge because we didn't save him three years ago. He's blinded by rage. Dangerous, yes, but he can be defeated."

Flash felt his hunger starting to grind on his patience despite the fact that he ate only an hour before. Instead of adding onto the arguments of the two "Supers", he turned to the other League member. "Batman, what the heck were you thinking when you brought Stalker in? The idea was sketchy at best, and a guaranteed failure at worst. Even _I_ found it questionable, and that's saying something."

Batman, who had been silent during the entire meeting, paused. He was obviously thinking how to respond, but it was a useless effort.

A loud alarm rang throughout the building. The four Leaguers stood up and turned to the large screen that sat on the wall of the MedBay.

Green Arrow's voice was frantic when it came through the speakers.

"Hey guys, hate to break the news to you, but _I'm_ suffering from major blood loss and _your_ babysitter's gone psychopathic. And I need help. Stat. Like, right now, preferably _before_ he goes on a killing spree."

Wonder Woman raised an eyebrow and placed a hand on her hip. "You know what, Superman? I think you might actually be right. Let's all totally ignore Stalker. Sounds like a brilliant idea," she said sarcastically.

The other Leaguers did not respond. Instead, Batman was the one to make a move.

"Gear up if you have to," he said. "We have a mission to do."


	17. Chapter 17

**Ashuri: Thanks so much, that really makes me happy. I'm sorry that you have to see abuse all the time; I give you all my blankets and hugs so you can be better, even if you yourself are not a victim. As for Stalker: THANK THE LORD SOMEONE IS ACTUALLY QUESTIONING THIS. I made all of my hints so dang obvious that I thought everyone would have figured it out immediately. But nope, it must have totally slipped your minds. Yes, the circumstances are odd, aren't they? That is on purpose, just so you know. I'm glad I can supply you with a mystery dose. I actually thought that this entire storyline was way too obvious. And, as you can clearly see, I ramble too. The disease must be contagious, because I swear I've given it to everyone I've been near since I got it myself. XD**

"It was awful," Green Arrow said. His arm was heavily bandaged. Black Canary, still tired from Stalker's attack, stood behind him. Her voice had mostly recovered, though it was still soft. The League members who were in the Watchtower prior to the attack on Queen's company were there. They were holding a meeting in a makeshift conference room, seeing as Green Arrow wasn't capable of moving too far from the MedBay to go all the way down to the original meeting room.

The blonde archer ran a hand over his tired face, the painkillers starting to kick in. "I was at an official party, so I could barely find the time to slip away. By the time I got to Queen's company's building, Stalker had already trashed the place."

Black Canary frowned. "How many casualties were there?"

Green Arrow rubbed his forehead with a finger. "That's the weird part," he admitted. "He didn't kill anyone. A few of m— Queen's men were scratched and a little traumatized, but for the most part, everyone was left unscathed. Well, except for me. He seemed a little pissy with me interrupting his destruction phase."

"So the target was what was inside the building," Wonder Woman concluded.

"Not quite," Batman said.

"If you could explain, Batman?" Martian Manhunter enquired. "Not all of us have the fortune to claim the title of World's Greatest Detective."

Batman turned to Green Arrow. "How many of Queen's departments were attacked by Stalker?"

Green Arrow shrugged. "Just a few. Mostly the ones that were experimenting with technology."

Batman nodded. "That alone is enough to indicate that Stalker was not after information or research from the other departments, neither was he after the tech itself. He wouldn't have destroyed the technology otherwise. Instead, he would have taken it for himself."

"Which means that he damaged it for reasons that aren't necessarily related to obtaining powerful firepower," Flash added.

"Indeed," Batman said. "There are only two reasons why he would do this upfront attack. On one hand, he could try to force us into a disadvantage by getting rid of this high-class tech that the League might or might not use. However—"

"Queen had several other departments that had much better tech that the League could've used," Green Arrow finished. "But he completely ignored those."

Batman nodded again. "Money. That's what this is about. He attacked the easy targets, aiming for the more expensive prototypes. From the data I have received from Agent A, most of the cheaper projects were completely ignored."

Black Canary crossed her arms. "So he gave Queen a big bill that he has to pay off. What would the use of that be? He's a billionaire. It's costly, but he throws his money around like air. He wouldn't even blink at the damages."

Black Canary didn't miss the pointed glare sent her way from Green Arrow.

"Queen is one of the League's biggest donors," Batman answered. "With the new costly donations, the League is starting down the plank of economic control. If something else goes wrong from another one of our donors, then we're in trouble."

Superman's eyes narrowed. "It seems to be a bit of a coincidence for Queen to get attacked to drain him of his money while he is one of our biggest donors."

"It isn't a coincidence," Batman said. "Stalker managed to hack into our security system and access all sorts of data and information. It wouldn't be hard for him to find out who's donating what to the League."

Wonder Woman scowled. "In other words, we are at an extreme disadvantage. Clearly, Robin has thought this through before he decided to turn his back on us."

Batman tensed. A silence fell over the group.

Flash stood up. "I think this an emergency," he said. "I'm going to go contact the rest of the League, if that's okay with you guys." When he got no response, he zipped out of the room.

"I..." Superman's gaze flickered to Batman. Black Canary could tell that he wanted to help the other man, though it was obvious that Batman still wanted nothing to do with him. "I'm going to go help Flash."

Martian Manhunter didn't even give an excuse to leave the room.

Wonder Woman seemed aware of her mistake. She pursed her lips. "I'm going to check up on the Team. See how they're holding up."

Black Canary watched Wonder Woman leave through the doorway. She opened her mouth to speak to Batman, but she closed it when she realized that he was no longer in the room. He somehow managed to disappear from right under her nose.

She sighed. "You didn't actually go to a party, did you?" she asked Green Arrow.

"No," the archer admitted. "I didn't."

Black Canary scowled. "So you were busy having another special night with some last minute hook-up—"

"I was in Roy's room." He ignored the look on Black Canary's face. "I was just... thinking how quiet it is without him in the house."

Black Canary frowned and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It'll be alright. We'll find him and bring him back."

Green Arrow sighed. "I really hope so." His eyes softened. "I really miss him."

Wally peeked out from the side of the giant entrance that lead into the conference room. It was around seven in the morning, and he had been wandering around the Watchtower. He heard of Batgirl's new "mission", and he wasn't all too thrilled about the idea.

How had he heard it? The answer to that is not so simple.

Okay, he may or may have not been eavesdropping. Maybe.

Probably.

It was early, so he wasn't too worried about stumbling across any of his teammates. He did, however, manage to find the conference room. They didn't have doors, but rather had large, open entrances.

He was pretty sure that there used to be doors, but the League ended up getting rid of them because (if rumors were correct), his uncle kept on running straight through them because he was too fast to catch himself in time.

Wally hated the fact that he couldn't even doubt the rumor.

The redhead stared at the meeting of heros that was starting to get heated. Almost everyone who could physically come did, though Wally could spot a few members who were missing. One surprising attendee, however, was Doctor Fate. Wally flinched back when he heard their voices grow louder.

"From what I can tell," Hal Jordan said, "Green Arrow was close to _dying_. Not to mention the severe economical damage to one of our biggest funders, stolen classified League information, and the kidnapping of GA's sidekick. I say we give this "Stalker" our biggest priority for tracking down."

Aquaman crossed his arms. "He is but a child," he said. "Fourteen, from what my records show me. He is lost. We should not track him down like hounds. We should try to break through to him and show him what he is really doing."

"Break through to him!?" Black Canary exclaimed. Her voice had almost completely came back, though it cracked often. "He _attacked_ us. No, he _played_ us. He was enjoying it. I assure you, he had planned this for a while. There's no way we can get through to him."

Captain Marvel frowned. "Even if he had, he's not unreachable. Everyone can be convinced into something," he said.

Hal Jordan rounded on the Leaguer. "You're eight, kiddo. You don't understand."

Captain Marvel's face flushed. "If you're basing this on age, that means I know more about him than you do," he replied hotly.

Hal opened his mouth, but Black Canary cut him off. "We are _not_ going to play the seniority card," she snapped.

"Agreed," Wonder Woman said. "Not here. We are all members of the League, no matter our age. It is our contributions that make us who we are."

"According to that logic," Atom said slowly, "Stalker should be apprehended through the same thought process." His eyes narrowed. "Which means we'd be abandoning his few years and treating him like an adult. Like a criminal. That would mean we would charge him of his illegal actions enough to put him on the electric chair, if it came to that."

"They mean what they mean, Atom," Martian Manhunter said. "Do not doubt what their words truly say."

Hawkwoman spoke up for the first time. "I understand that it should be a priority to track Stalker down, but he's a _child_. Bring him to justice, yes, but enough to kill him? He's got plenty of years ahead of him, and he could easily regret it later. And what would that make us? Child-killers?"

"No," an voice broke through, making everyone else fall silent. "We are bringers of justice," Doctor Fate said, his voice echoing throughout the room. "This boy knows the crimes he has committed. He is smart. He is intelligent. He knows exactly what he is doing."

"Of course he does," Icon said. "But does that mean he has no morals? Does that mean that he will continue to hold onto his grudge a few years from now, when he is older and wiser?"

Doctor fate waved a hand. "Even so, we cannot allow exceptions to the system—"

"Doctor Fate," Icon interrupted, "Have you ever done something you've regretted?"

The man in the helmet, who had control over Zatara's body, fell silent. Icon turned to the rest of the League.

"Haven't we all done something we've regretted?" When no one else spoke, he continued. "If you think the kid should be killed, fine. That is your opinion. But out of all of us, who would regret that decision in the years to come?"

A beat. Silence. And then—

Flash rose a hand. Silently. No words were needed.

And then, after a moment of hesitation, Black Canary rose hers.

Then Wonder Woman's.

And Captain Marvel's, Hawkwoman's, Hawkman's, and Icon's.

Hal paused, sighed through his nose, and rose his. Atom looked around the table and nodded to himself, raising his as well.

Martian Manhunter.

Superman.

Green Arrow.

Batman.

Red Tornado.

Doctor Fate sat in his silence, everyone's eyes on him. Everyone silently asking what he would choose. Everyone already knew his decision already, however.

Or so they thought.

Fate sighed, his mask echoing the sound, before he raised his own arm off the table. He turned to Icon. "Yes," he said simply. "I have done things I have regretted."

Superman nodded to himself. "Then it's settled. We won't kill him."

"No," Batman agreed. "But we will take efforts to ensure that Stalker accepts the charges that are placed on him."

"And get Red Arrow back," Green Arrow said tiredly. "That's all I care about at this point."

"We still have much to discuss, I am afraid," Flash said, sounding much older than he was. "What priority his capture is. Whether or not we should try to help him, or convince him what he's doing is wrong. If we should give him to the police, where he'll be fed to the wolves."

"Flash brings up several points that we should bring awareness to in this meeting," Red Tornado said monotonously. "It may be our last in the events that may occur in the future."

"Red's right," Hawkman said. "We are nowhere near an overall decision. And Flash raised several blaring points that need to be taken care of. We still haven't even decided _how_ we're going to take him down."

Wally stopped listening as he quickly backed away. He felt sick to his stomach, and bile rose in his throat. Silently, with a nauseousness that seemed to cling to him, Wally left the hall. He quickly made it up another hall, and then another, and another, and another.

Until finally, he found himself by the zeta tubes. He was in the room where Batgirl, Artemis, and Zatanna attacked Stalker. When they gave him his name.

When Robin first managed to see the seeds he planted grow fruitful.

Wally shook the thoughts away and crouched by the zeta tube. He pulled a small device from the pocket of his hoodie, plugging it up into the system. He looked around him, just to make sure no one was there, before he got to work. He was quick, but even so, he was not a master hacker. It took him thirty minutes to break through all the firewalls, insert his coordinates into the tube, and silence the alert, and another nineteen to fix the footage.

Almost an hour. And the League still wasn't finished with their meeting.

Which meant no on was there to stop Wally from standing up. No one was there to stop him from stepping into the light of the zeta tube.

And no one was there to stop Wally from doing what he had planned all night.

No one.

 **I'M STARTING TO SEE WHY ROBIN DID WHAT HE DID.**

 **[ERROR]**

 **... ROBIN?**

 **[ERROR]**

 **NO.**

 **HE WOULD NOT.**

 **[ERROR]**

 **[ERROR]**

 **[ERROR]**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **WOULD HE?**

0o0o0o0

Wally stepped out of the light of the alleyway. He took in a shaky breath. Released it just as shakily. And then another, and another, and another.

Until finally, he breathed in and out like a normal person.

After being stuck in the Watchtower for who knows how long, he relished the smell of fresh air and wind compared to the recycled and still air of the floating base. He shoved his hands in pockets, trying to keep his hands as "warm" as possible. He didn't expect it to be so cold.

A snowflake fell on his head.

He flinched and blinked as he looked up, just noticing the flurry of snow falling from the endless grey sky. He felt the corner of his lips curl upwards. He always loved snow...

He pulled his hands back out of his pockets and brought them out on either side of him, letting the flakes drop on his hands. He laughed at himself, shaking the flakes from his face as he looked back out in front of him. _Snow._

He felt his smile slip. It was snowing already? What day was it even? What month?

It was in the middle of August when frost first appeared at his school, which was weird enough as it was. He guessed it was an early year for the cold to start invading. And by the time he and the Team were forced into the Watchtower, it was already late September...

He shook his head. He didn't want to worry about it.

He left the alleyway, looking around the familiar street. Slush filled the streets, but snow was starting to already pile onto the concrete. Wally briskly walked, but he was surprised when he left for the opposite direction than what he had planned.

He guessed Artemis was right. He _did_ think with his feet, not his head.

By the time he arrived to the hospital parking lot of Central City, he was feeling solemn. He stood in the middle of the dead-silent lot, looking up at the hospital's outside walls. It was a light beige shade, the color his mother wanted to paint the walls of the ugly bathroom that was downstairs.

She never got around to doing that.

Wally sighed, noting that he could see his breath. He looked at the standing building, not hunching over from the heavy snow that was piling onto the cars and him. It was strong with open arms, welcoming the injured, the sick, and the ones ready to bring a new life into the world.

He didn't want to go inside. The room that his mother had was probably already filled with a new patient, and he didn't want to look at the person behind the reception desk anymore. So he stayed out in the cold, watching the world and the snowflakes go by.

Wally wasn't particularly religious, but...

"If there's really any god up there," he whispered, "help these souls." The only reply he got was a lightning strike that arched quietly through the light gray sky.

He smiled to himself.

Turned around.

And left the hospital's vicinity for good.

He walked across the street, peering into the alleyway that Ryan and Diana used to sleep in together. The alleyway where they ate. Drank. Prayed. Hoped.

Only Ryan was here now.

The small boy was curled up, shivering and dirty, against the edge of the dumpster. He looked up when Wally looked towards him.

Diana's body was long gone.

Wally pulled off his sweater, his only form of warm layered clothing, and handed it to the small boy. Ryan stared up at him with big eyes. Took the sweater with grubby hands.

"Thank you," he whispered, tears rolling down his cheeks.

Wally smiled.

He had nothing to say.

And so he turned around, walked down the block, and headed to the place that he dreaded the most.

Snowflakes fell on his pale cheeks as he headed to his father's house.

0o0o0o0

Wally stared through the screen door of his house, noting the open wooden door. Inside, he stared at the hunched form of his father, who was staring endlessly into his glass filled with beer. He breathed out—shakily—before opening up the unlocked door.

His father's eyes swiveled towards him, almost as if he were prepared to defend himself against an attack. Then again, he did leave the door unlocked and open.

Rudy blinked as he stared at his son. "Wallace?" he croaked out, surprised.

Wally smiled. "Yeah," he said. "It's me."

Rudy stood up, blinked furiously, and stepped towards Wally. Wally didn't flinch, even as his father came lumbering toward him. Even as the phantom pain from several weeks ago came to flare up. To remind him of how his father bruised his skin with strong, meaty hands.

He didn't even flinch as Rudy stood right in front of him and pulled him into a giant hug. As Rudy's chin came to rest on his skull.

"You're home," Rudy murmured. "I thought I lost you forever after last time."

Wally's smile turned sad. "No, I would never leave forever." _Lies._ "I just had business to take care of."

Rudy rubbed a hand over the back of Wally's neck. "I understand." He sighed heavily and pulled away, cupping Wally's face with his hands. "I'm so sorry," he said. "I never should have done what I did." He glanced back at his cup of beer. "I think I'm going to stop drinking after this," he said solemnly.

Wally tried to smile a bit more, but it was difficult. He wanted to believe his father, he really did. In fact, he probably would have if it wasn't for the fact that his father said the same thing last time he hurt Wally.

And the time before that.

And the time before that.

And the time before that.

And the time before that.

Rudy looked back at Wally. Rubbed a pad of his thumb over his cheek. Smiled. "You look a lot like your mother," he admitted. "The freckles are definitely her's."

Wally felt the back of his eyes burn. "Yeah," he agreed quietly.

Rudy coughed awkwardly and dropped his hand before bringing him back into a hug. "You want to play a game of ball?" he asked.

Wally sighed. "I can't, as much as I want to. I just barely caught a break, and I have to get back to work." Wally could tell he wanted to know what this "work" was without even looking at him, but Rudy just nodded.

"Alright," he agreed. "Another day."

"Another day," Wally echoed.

Rudy fell silent for a moment, and so Wally took up his chance to say what he wanted before he left.

"I love you, Dad."

Rudy paused, and Wally felt his hand tremble on his back. "I love you too, son."

Wally pulled himself out of his hug, smiled at his father, and nodded. "Another day, we'll play ball."

Rudy smiled right back. "Another day," he repeated.

And Wally left.

 **THEY WOULD PLAY BALL, ALRIGHT.**

 **A FAST GAME**

 **THAT THREW THE TRUTH**

 **BACK**

 **AND**

 **FORTH.**

 **IT WOULD BE TENSE IN THE COURT.**

 **PEOPLE WATCHING**

 **AS THE BALL,**

 **THE TRUTH,**

 **WAS THROWN AT RUDY'S FACE.**

 **AND HE FAILED TO CATCH IT.**

 **HE FAILED TO THROW IT RIGHT BACK TO WALLY'S**

 **PROSECUTOR.**

 **AND HE WAS CORNERED.**

 **AND THE PROSECUTOR GLARED AT WALLY'S FATHER**

 **AS HE READ OUT THE FIRST LETTER THAT**

 **WALLY'S MOTHER**

 **WROTE**

 **ALL**

 **THOSE**

 **MONTHS**

 **AGO.**

 **WHEN SHE REMINISCED THE DAY**

 **THAT RUDY FIRST HURT HER SON.**

 **HOW SHE TOLD THE STORY**

 **OF THE DAY LITTLE WALLY WON HIS FIRST MEDAL IN THE CHILD'S PLAY TRACK TEAM.**

 **OF HOW RUDY WAS THE PROUDEST MAN ON EARTH, AND HOW HE TREATED HIS MOTHER GRANDLY.**

 **AND THEN**

 **THINGS WENT WRONG.**

 **WALLY TRIPPED**

 **AND**

 **BUMPED**

 **THE NIGHTSTAND**

 **HOLDING**

 **THAT**

 **PRICELESS VASE.**

 **AND HOW THE**

 **VASE SHATTERED**

 **ON**

 **IMPACT.**

 **AND HIS FATHER**

 **WAS**

 **A**

 **MONSTER.**

 **AN EVIL.**

 **A SIN.**

 **AND HE GRABBED**

 **LITTLE WALLY**

 **BY THE**

 **THROAT.**

 **AND HOW HIS MOTHER**

 **BANGED HER**

 **LITTLE**

 **FISTS**

 **AGAINST THE MONSTER.**

 **HOW**

 **SHE**

 **SCREECHED.**

 **AND THE PROSECUTOR**

 **SLAMMED HIS HAND**

 **ON THE WOODEN**

 **RAILING OF THE STAND IN FRONT OF HIM.**

 **AND THE ENTIRE COURTHOUSE FLINCHED AS THE SOUNDS**

 ** _BANG_**

 ** _BANG_**

 ** _BANG_**

 **RIPPED THROUGH THE SILENCE,**

 **BECAUSE THOSE SOUNDS WERE MIMICKING**

 **THE SOUNDS THAT RUDY INFLICTED**

 **ON**

 **LITTLE**

 **WALLY.**

 **AND THEN, THE PROSECUTOR SPOKE THE WORDS OF WALLY'S MOTHER.**

 **"MY ONLY SON SQUEALED IN AGONY. HE CRIED, MAKING SOUNDS OF PAIN. HE SQUEAKED. GASPED.**

 **AND RUDY NEVER, NEVER STOPPED.**

 **AND WHEN HE**

 **WAS**

 **DONE,**

 **HE**

 **SMILED."**

 **AND LITTLE WALLY, WHO WAS NO LONGER SO LITTLE,**

 **WATCHED WITH HIS UNCLE**

 **AS HIS FATHER WAS SENTENCED**

 **TO**

 **THREE YEARS IN JAIL WITHOUT PAROLE,**

 **AND WALLY**

 **WOULD LIVE**

 **WITH**

 **BARRY ALLEN AND IRIS ALLEN.**

 **AND WHEN HIS FATHER WOULD BE RELEASED,**

 **LITTLE WALLY**

 **WOULD BE**

 **TWENTY.**

 **AND HE WOULD NOT BE**

 **THE KID THAT**

 **RUDY STEPPED ON FOR BREAKING THE VASE.**

 **HE WOULD**

 **NO LONGER**

 **BE**

 **LITTLE**

 **WALLY.**

 **BUT, FOR NOW, NONE OF THIS HAS HAPPENED.**

 **INSTEAD, WALLY WALKS AWAY FROM HIS FATHER**

 **KNOWING THAT RUDY LOVES HIM.**

 **AND THAT'S**

 **ALL**

 **THAT**

 **MATTERS.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **WHO AM I?**

 **THAT DOES NOT MATTER.**

 **NOT NOW.**

 **NOT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.**

 **BUT,**

 **IF YOU INSIST,**

 **I**

 **A**

 **M**

 **M̴̨̢̢̧̡̧̡̡̛̛̛̛̛̳͚͇̻̭͙̲̭̝̘̭̮̩͙̯̜̳̦̹̘̱̪͖̤̙͖͎͚͈͖̠̥̱͖̪̯̫̼̜̙̯̖̯̬̻͖͔̠̞̭͖̹̳͔̝̘̣̲͍̥̳̟̦̠̯̟̞̙͔̯̤̖̖͙͚͇̙̬̝͙̱̘̲̙͋͛͆̌̋̌̅̑̑͆̒̈̅̉̔̂̿̏̀͂̋̂͌̔̌͗̏͊̏̾͗͒͒̓̆̈́͊̏͛͛͆͋͂͑͂̋̓̈́͊̒̒̅͋̈̑̅̌̄̍̓̏͐͗͋̒̀̊̓̐͆̒̎̑́̒̀̉̓̑͋̈̂̍̆̈̎̀̃̿̄̌̀́̔́͛̄̑̆̾̅̋̓́͒̐̀̆͒͑̄͆̋̇̄̄̽̽̽̎̃̋̅̉̅̍̾͂͘͘̕̕̕͘̕̚̚̚̚͘̚͜͝͝͝͠͠͠͝ͅ**

 **̵̨̡̧̨̡̨̡̡̢̡̡̡̢̧̨̨̢̛̛̛̗̜̻͙͚̖̬͖͓̝̺̤̣̰̤̫̥̞̯̩̬̠̭̳̥͚͇̪͓̠̪̗͈̮̝͓͓͉̱̞̘̤̳͚͙̪͖̱̮̖̟̹̘̺̖͙͈͙̙̫̰̘̜͉̻̙̦̼͔͈̼̘̰̤͎̺̣̪̲͕̱̦̩̞̫̦̣̼̦̱͕̻̭̮̮̬̳̻̳̥̬̪̟̬͎̼̩̜̲̫̥̯̗̫̞̼̮̞̟̠͔̭̺̼͎̖͖̭̱̲͓̻͍͖͕̭̟̩̼̦̝̰̻͕̼̘̖̩̭̹̟̰̺͚̠̙͎͙̳͖̯̭̫̹͇̹̩͇̤̪̜͕͎̘̯͖̹̙̺̺̰̳̺̖̲͔͔̤̠͋̿͛̔̇̆̽̽́̀̊̽͌̈́̃̾̓̂͌͆̅͊͒̅̃̾́͊̾̍͊̽͋͆͊͐͗̿̍̍͌̈̿̓̎͗͑̅̉̔̄̐̏̂̊̃̔̀̆͒̑́͋̄͌̔̇͗͛̀̏̃̿́̂̿̂̏̌̇͛͘̚̚͘͘̕͜͜͜͜͜͝͠͝͝͝͝͝ͅͅͅͅA̸̛̲̼̠͓̮͉͕͕̖̱̮̻̳̓͆̆̋̏̎̐͗̈̂̓̒͗̅̉͑͐̃̈́̅̈́̑͘̚̕͘̚͜͝͠͝**

 **̷̧̢̡̡̢̧̡̧̧̨̨̧̢̛̛̮͈̯͔̝̜̤̦̫̟̘͎̻̲̳̣̮̳̼͎̗͚͚̣̮̯̬͚̪̳̞̭̮̞̙̝̯͎̝͙̬̩̜͖̲͔͖̰̖̞͈͕̙̤̠̤͙̯̙̖̼̪͖̦̰͕̥͉̟̠͕͉̖͇̹̫̗̰̫͍̺̦̰̺͔̫̖̭̪̐̀͌̈̉̊̄̓͗̔͛̓̈́̉̿̈́̏̐̽̑̏̈́̽͛̎̒̋̏̑̋͒́̓̌̏̀̊̏̈́̎͋̃́̊̅̒̽͒͂̾͗̑͋͆̏͌͒̅͗̿̿̑͌͛͒͑͌̇̾͂͆͗͑̿́̐̒͛̒͆͛͐̈̾̓̊̈̆͑̈̋̓̄̐̿͛̑̄̊̂͂̆̽͛̊͋̈͌̑̆̄̃̌̈͆͋̿̄̑̂̎͛͋̽̇͆̀͆͗̇̉͊͂͊̐̃̾̽͆̌͆̿̉̂͛͐͂̓̔̂̂̈̌̂̍̔͂̓̃͗̾̇͆͊̓̈͐͘̚̕̕̕̕̚͘̚̕̚͘͝͠͝͝͝͝͠ͅͅD̸̡̨̨̧̧̨̧̨̨̨̨̡̧̡̡̡̛̛̛̛͖̝̠̘͍͔͙̦͚͕̪̝͎͖̦͍̖̪͓͈̗͔̼̖̳̞̺͙̞̤͙̹̲̫̫͓̖͉̺̼̜͈̰͈͈̩͉̻̜̤̼̯̝̮̤̜̪̱͈̣͖̗͇͙̝̻̫͖̥̩̝͓̰͕̹̙̘̹̩̯̭͖͇͚̻̤̠̰̘̙̲̠̜͔̟̩͚̖̪̠͚͇͕̯̬͓̮̖̼̗͎̦͙̝̭͙̘̩̮̘̺͎͕̱̹̗̮̔̎̋͌̈́̌̄͊̀͆̔́̓͛͋͂̃́̂̂́͛͆̾̈̋͑̀̾̊̒̈́̽̊̅̋̀̌́͊̽̔̿͆͆̇̏̎̿́̅͂͆̃̿̈̃̄̄̏̂̌̇̅͌͌͒̎͋̉͗̋̊͆͐͂̋̋͋̒̒͒̅̊͌͒́̑̎̊̀̍̄͛̎̂̃͐̒͛̉͐̍̎̈͊̌̂̀̓͌͌̓͒̔͘͘̕͘͘̕͜͜͜͜͠͠͠͠͝͝͝͝ͅͅͅ**

 **̴̧̢̢̡̢̛̬͕̝̮̣̺͙̯̫̫͚͉̻̠̘̥͖͔̹̤̯̥̮̦̙̫͈̯̥̺̩̥͎̪͉̱̰͕̻̼̗͕̲̣͕̤̹̯̼̗͕̤͔̝̘̗̦͙͕̲̙̙̝͔̲͔̰̓̌̑̈́͗͋͋̓̀̾̉̎̐̏̑̑̽̃̌͒̂̀̓̐͐̈͆͆̀͑͌̃̏̽͊̚͘̚͘͘͝͝͠͝ͅͅͅD̶̨̢̢̡̧̡̡̨̨̡̨̨̡̧̧̧̢̢̨̡̡̢̢̢̡̡̢̡̧̧̡̨̧̨̨̛̛̛̛̠̜͕̻̲̤̼̙̘̙̺͙̭̳͕͇͕̻͇̘̩͓̦̯̗̟̗̜̻̥͎̙̗̠̞͉̮͖̳̺̮̭͇̝̭̟͔̝̠͍̱͍̖̠̦̲̞̤̙̣̲̬̪̰͉̘͇͖͓͉̗̲̱̭̥̖̬̻͕̜͕̠͉͉͓͇̹̦̪͎̻͓̺̝̝̗̬͕̯͉̳̣̤̫̺̤̱̰̖̬̞͙̱̭͇̭͚͚͇̬̠̬͚̦̲͓͖̬͙͕̫̱̰̹̤̭̤̝̟̺̯͔̗̦̰͙̼̹͎̩̬̲̩̬̦̹͍̻̣͕̦̺̟̮̟̳͖̠̦̩͖̼͍̺̮̟͈̭̩̙̝̲̪̫̖͈͕͈̟̤͔͚̺̞͈̠̘̙͓̫̗̜̗͎̩͙̭̜͔̟̩̳̙̙͙̣͖̫̰͙͓̺̞̜̺̮̣̩̙̠̟̠͎̲̲̝̤̅̓̍̂̅̎̀̆̎̏̽̑̈́̈́͊͆̏̂̾͒̀̾͋̂́́̆̀͒̂̈́͊́́́̀͌͆̌̔́̓̆͌̄̾̂͑͂͆͂̅͒̀̈͊͋̃̃̂̂̽̔̏̄͆̇͋̑̔̓̐̃͋̇̾͗͒̽̒̅̿̂͊́͆̾̈̆͑̿̑͂͆̊̾̆̔̔̐͛̑̂͑̃̓̈̉̂̽̌͐̌͆̆̂̊̒͑͋̎̉̄͗̑͆̏̔̎͒̑͆͑͒̊̐̃͆̃̈̆́̎͛̃̂̾̂̋̔͐̓͗̉̇̃̿͋̔̏͆͒͊̊̋̔̀͑̆͆͘̚͘̚̚̚͘͘̚͜͜͜͜͜͜͜͝͝͠͝͝͝͝͝͠͝͝͝͝͝͝ͅͅͅͅͅͅͅͅͅ**

 **̶̨̧̨̛̛̛̛̛͍͔͔̹̲̝̲̗͖̹̙̝̼̤̬͈͍̦̰̠̫̞̟͕̪̻̭͙̹͉̘͉̼̠͔͍̖̘̦͔̹̮̻̘̫̲͕̩̬̫͉̬̗̮̤̖͔̣͌̏̐͐̔̆̎͌̏̐̏̈́͑̋͑̒͒̎̒͐̓̔̋́͌̉̀̅̿͗̒̈́̍͒͋͌̋̆̈́́͗̂͒̾͋́̽͗͌͑͒̌̇̎́̍̋̄̿̅̃͐̑̈͐̉͒̓̆͊̿̏͊̽͑̾̐̄̂̀͗͌̋̌͑̾͑̎̎̈͆̒͂̏̓͒͊̏́̿̑́̄̓͋̊̉̿̾͂̏̄̀̏̐̐͑̎̉͂̋̂̏̎̉͗̊̂͒̃̈͐̾͂̄͋͐̎͌̍̌͘͘͘̕̚͘͘̚̚̚̕̚̕̕͝͝͠͝͠͝͠͝͝͝͠͝͝͠͝͝͠͝͝͠͠͝͝ͅͅY̵̨̡̧̧̡̢̡̢̧̧̨̨̧̧̨̨̨̨̧̡̡̡̧̧̢̹̝͖̠̣̹̬̘̝̥̗͕̯̤̺̣͍̱͚̤͉̞͍̱̤͙͚̫̘͇̖̼͙̗̞͉̗̩̞̝̺̮̯͖̲͓̟̬͎̞̯̦͈͇̘͇͉͔̳͚̮͕̖̹̜͖͙͉̠͇͎̙̖͕̟͚̲͕͖͔͇̩̜̗̘͍̗̙̱̣̻͎̬͎̗̼͖͇͙̮͚̙͈͔͎͈͙̘͈̣̻̰̳̩̼̘̝̤̣̞͔͉͎͇̻̤̰͍̯̙̳͔̪̣̠̲̣͍͎̞̞͚̻̞͙͙̭͉̺̭͖͈̮̩̗̲͎̜͙͓͚̯̦͉̼̰̙͚̞̙̙̙̭͖͖̼͍̣̳̗̳̗̝̝̠̘͇̤̹̪̥͉̱̻̳̫͕̻̪͈̜͈̤̥̘͖̰̯͇̖͕̜͉͍͂̀́̒͒͆̋̑̉̔̆͊̋͑̎̋͛̀̓̓̓͆͋̅͂͛̑͒͑̕̕̚͜͜͜͜͜͜͝ͅͅͅͅͅͅ**

 **[ERROR]**

0o0o0o0

Wally was back in his room when Batgirl entered. She walked in, hesitated, and then closed the door behind her. Wally looked up, smiled at her, and patted to the side of him.

She sat down next to him, looking at the photograph he had in his hand.

"Who're they?" she asked politely.

Wally looked down to see his mother and father looking back at him. The two looked much younger, and they were smiling. They hadn't yet realized their darker futures, and were as happy as they could be. His mother was in a long, beautiful white dress that flowed around her ankles. Her teeth were still white, and she didn't have a single wrinkle in her skin. His father was crisp in his attire, the black suit accenting his dark eyes. He had on a loose smile, his hands in his pockets.

"They're my parents," Wally said. When Batgirl didn't say anything, he continued. "You know my father said that I look just like my mother?" He chuckled quietly.

Batgirl gently took the photograph from his fingers. She looked hard at his mother, and then back at Wally. "You do," she replied. "Most of your face, at least. And your hands." She smiled. "You're mother's gorgeous."

Wally grinned at Batgirl. "Does that mean you're calling _me_ gorgeous?" he asked jokingly as he took back the photograph and put it on his nightstand with the letters of his mother.

Batgirl shook her head. "You're in a good mood," she said instead.

Wally chuckled. "Wow, I can't believe you noticed," he said sarcastically. "It wasn't as if I was obvious or anything."

Batgirl laughed and nudged him with her elbow. "Well I'm sorry that I'm happy you're not acting like an angsty teenager like you've had for the past _forever_."

Wally held a hand over his heart in mock hurt. "Was I really that bad?"

"Uh, yeah, you were," Batgirl said, rolling her eyes.

Wally laughed so hard he almost starting crying. He wiped his eyes as he went into another giggling fit. "Oh man, and I thought I was over that phase when I was thirteen."

Batgirl scoffed. "Apparently you weren't, because you've been acting like a mushroom these past few days. You've done nothing but hide in the dark in your room."

"Hey," Wally exclaimed, "mushrooms are good!"

Batgirl rolled her eyes again. "Just don't give me any diseases, and I'll think about it."

Wally grinned. "Alright, alright, I give. I'll just have to be a walking disease another day."

Batgirl nodded, and her smile faltered. "Hey..." she started. "Are you okay? You're not just acting, are you?"

Wally fell back against his bed. "Yeah," he finally said. "I'm good. Just a little nervous," he admitted.

Batgirl raised an eyebrow as she placed her palm behind her, leaning her weight on that arm. "Nervous? What for?"

Wally shrugged. "It's complicated."

"I'm listening," Batgirl said. "I have time."

Wally pursed his lips. "It's complicated and confidential."

Batgirl stared at him for a second longer before nodding. "I get it. Is there any way I can help?"

Wally shrugged again. "I don't think so."

Batgirl fell silent before turning back around. She fished in her cloak for something, and she came back with a beaten up journal. She placed it next to the photograph of Wally's parents. "I thought..." She swallowed. "You might've wanted this."

Wally sat up. "What is it?"

Batgirl smiled sadly. "Robin's diary. From when he was still a kid."

Wally froze. Batgirl sighed, gently rubbing her wrists.

"I... know it's hard. Because it's hard on me, and I've never even met him." She let out a single, sad laugh. "But people change." She rested a hand on Wally's own. "The only thing you can do is remember what they were. What they are now. And accept that even if they're in the same body, they're different people. That they believed in different things." She smiled bitterly. "You may not be able to make new memories with Robin, but you still have ones to cherish. That's what life is."

Wally let a smile grace his features. "You think so?" he asked.

"Yeah," Batgirl said. "I do."

Wally looked out in front of him to the window that led to nothingness. "Well, then I believe we can make a few memories together too."

Batgirl grinned. "Going down the cliché and cheesy road now, are we?" she teased.

Wally laughed. "That's my job, sister."

Batgirl's eyes brightened, and she started smiling from ear to ear. "Alright then, _brother_. That's a promise."

Wally grinned. "Don't plan on breaking it. But what memories do you even want to make? Where do you even want to go?"

Batgirl shrugged. "Somewhere. Maybe it'll be good. Maybe it'll be bad. Just somewhere."

Wally nodded. "Alright then, Queen of Bats, I'll try to do that."

Batgirl laughed, shaking her head. "Whatever, Kid Mouth." She stood up and headed to the door, stopping just before she left. "Oh, and Wally?"

"Yeah?" Wally replied.

Batgirl smiled. "Don't be nervous about whatever it is you're about to do." She closed the door behind her, and Wally stared at her exit.

And then he smiled to himself. He opened up the drawer holding his mother's letters. He picked up the string, tied them all together, and adjusted the letters so they looked presentable.

It looked just like how it did when his mother gave it to him. And now he was handing it to Barry Allen, the Flash, his uncle.

And he was not nervous at all.

0o0o0o0

It was 2:07 in the morning when Barry finally had finished the letters. He had been busy all day, and by the time he finally managed to start reading them, it was already late.

He nearly threw up after the first letter. The second and the third weren't so bad, but as it continued, it just got worse and worse.

 **IT IS NO WONDER HE IS SLOW WHEN TRYING TO GET THROUGH THEM.**

 **AFTER ALL,**

 **HE DID NOT NOTICE WALLY'S BRUISES.**

 **ALL HE ASSUMED**

 **WAS THAT THERE WAS VERBAL ABUSE.**

 **HOW WRONG HE WAS.**

So it was no surprise that Wally was asleep when Barry walked inside his room. Barry sat on the bed by Wally's thin form, watching his chest move up and down with his even breaths. He reached forward and tucked a piece of stray hair behind Wally's ear. He badly needed a haircut, but the boy was stuck in the Watchtower.

Wally grumbled at the touch and opened up his eyes, blinking them at the dark. "Uncle Barry?" he groaned.

Barry smiled sadly. "Hey, Wally," he said quietly. "How are you feeling?"

Wally scrunched up his eyes. "Fine," he grumbled out. "What are you doing here?"

"I read the letters," Barry said.

Wally paused. He smiled bitterly. "Ah," he said simply.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Barry asked.

Wally sighed and shrugged. "I don't know. Part of me wanted me to tell you, but I was scared you wouldn't believe me. Another part of me thought that I could just live through it. Sometimes, I'd think that things would eventually get better..."

Barry looked Wally in the eyes. "I'm guessing it didn't."

"No," Wally admitted. "It didn't."

Barry held onto Wally's hand. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I thought... I knew something was going on, but I didn't think..."

Wally squeezed Barry's hand. "It's okay, Uncle Barry. It's not your fault." He closed his eyes. "It's no one's."

Barry sighed and ran his thumb over the knuckles of Wally's hand. "I talked with Iris. If everything turns out alright with the Stalker problem, and if you want to live with us, we've got an extra bedroom set up..."

Wally smiled. "I think," he said quietly, "I'd like that."

Barry mirrored his nephew's smile, the bags under his eyes stretching and his dimples showing. "Alright. We'll see what we can do." He stood up, almost as if was ready to leave, but Wally tugged on his sleeve.

"Do yourself a favor and sleep here. I don't think you're going to make it home with how exhausted." He was not just saying that because he wanted Barry to sleep with him, no sir.

The side of Barry's lips curled upwards faintly. "You'll have move over," he said.

Wally groaned but rolled over to the other side of the bed, letting go of Barry's sleeve in the process. Barry smiled and pulled his shoes off, lifting the side of the covers and slipping in. Wally rolled back over and curled up against Barry's chest, to which the man chuckled. He pulled the covers up to their shoulders and wrapped his arms around Wally.

Wally smiled.

It was warm.


	18. Chapter 18

**Lol, that moment when you've written the final chapter and now you're questioning whether or not you should even continue this because it's just dawned on you that your entire story's awful. XD**

 **Ashuri: I'm so so sorry that it deleted your entire thing. I'll just pretend that it's just as amazing, which it is. XD I'm glad you liked last chapter, because that's probably going to be the last of our fluff until the ending. Crap's gonna hit the fan, you see.**

"We need a plan of action," Superman said to the group of Leaguers. Another day, another meeting.

"I can agree with that," Atom said.

"Care to fill us in on the conclusions you've come to? Not all of us were here at your other get-togethers," Plastic Man stated as he leaned back in his chair.

Flash crossed his arms. "Long story short, we have made tracking down Stalker a priority unless anything else pops up."

"Which is likely," Green Arrow muttered.

Flash shot the man a look before continuing. "We believe that, due to the circumstances with Queen, he will be aiming for Wayne Foundations."

Plastic Man stretched. "What kind of circumstances are we talking about?"

Wonder Woman frowned. "Did you even read the reports we sent you?"

Plastic man waved a hand aimlessly. "Yeah, yeah, of course I did." He picked up the plastic water bottle he brought with him into the meeting and brought it to his lips, tipping the water into his mouth.

"Oh good," Black Canary said, smiling to herself innocently. "Then you shouldn't be surprised when I tell you that Stalker's Robin, then?"

Plastic Man choked on his water.

"Like Flash was saying," Hawkwoman said, taking over, "we suspect that Stalker should be targeting Wayne Foundations. Since Green Arrow's—sorry—Queen's damages were mostly a chunk out of his monthly money bags, it would be no surprise if he was aiming to hurt Wayne's paycheck as well to put the League on a damper."

"Has anyone given Bruce Wayne the warning of this new turn of events?" Red Tornado asked.

"I have," Batman spoke up.

Wonder Woman and Superman raised their eyebrows. "You know him?" Superman asked.

"Doesn't everyone?" Batman replied dryly.

Wonder Woman butted in. "I think he's surprised that you have contact with "playboy" Bruce Wayne."

Flash snorted. "Maybe it isn't contact. Maybe the two are the same person," he joked.

Green Arrow laughed, wincing slightly at his injuries. "Now _that_ would be hilarious."

"Amusing as the thought is, I would rather get back to the point at hand," Batman said, his tone indicating that he wasn't amused at all.

"He's right," Atom said. "We are pressed for time, and we need to make arrangements. Preferably, as soon as possible. I would rather not have Stalker attack while we are scrambling to make decisions on who's doing what."

"Indeed. Batman, if I may ask you something?" Martian Manhunter said.

"Speak," he said dryly.

"You are the most in touch with the League's abilities and our current expenses and finances. Perhaps you should clarify just how Stalker plans to use this plan of his, and why we should be taking all precautions to make sure this doesn't happen again?" The martian's eyes flickered to Plastic Man.

Batman nodded ever so slightly. "It doesn't seem so bad at first glance—if we were dealing with a temporary problem, we would be in an adequate shape. Even if Stalker managed to attack Wayne Foundations, we would be stretched thin at the most."

"So why are we even worried?" John Stewart asked.

"Simple," Aquaman said. "He's not a temporary problem."

"However, Stalker is not planning to be caught anytime soon," Batman continued as if he had never been interrupted. "He has yet to reveal any of his powers other than the ability to manipulate his suit's form and to summon temporary weapons from thin air. Not only that, but he made it quite clear that the infamous counter-controlling concoction that was stolen was embedded into his skin through a bullet wound. He might or might have not even caused that "Bird Epidemic" that started up several months ago. Because of this, he has the upper hand in combat alone. Stalker has also probably been planning this for longer than we could even guess. He is not impatient—he would be perfectly happy to wait a couple months out of attacking our funds before taking a more direct approach."

"I'm guessing that more direct approach involves destroying the League completely?" Black Canary asked.

She noticed his shoulders stiffen slightly.

"I would not be surprised, yes," he said monotonously.

"Why the hell would he do that again?" Hal Jordan asked. "Never quite got that answer from any of you guys." His anger and sarcasm was prominent in his voice.

"It's simply his view of helping the world," Flash said tiredly. "He truly believes that if he destroys us, he will have reign to be able to "help" the world as he believes he can."

Hal Jordan sneered. "Some help."

Black Canary sighed. "As much as I disagree with the kid, Hal, you've got to get your attitude under control."

Hal's eyes narrowed. "Says the one who cussed Stalker out before he unmasked himself."

Black Canary opened her mouth to say a few words, but Flash cut her off.

"Imagine a world," he said quietly, "where you could sleep knowing that the Joker was not alive to do anything treacherous to you?"

Hal stared heatedly at Flash before sighing. All the heat his eyes held dissipated. "It's still messed up," he said.

"Of course it is," Hawkwoman said. "We were never disagreeing with you."

Plastic Man nodded as he placed two hands behind his head. "She's right. We do understand how you're feeling, Hally. Life just isn't simple."

"Now that that's settled, could we please get back on track?" Wonder Woman asked. "We still need a game plan. And we also need to decide who's guarding the towers when, because I don't want to get a call at eight at night telling me to get off my butt and start guarding Wayne towers after I've just settled in and gotten ready for sleep."

"I can second that," Superman said. "It's especially annoying when you get the call and you have super hearing, so you know you can't fool anyone by saying you didn't hear it."

Green Arrow smirked. "Well, at least there's one good thing with being injured, and that's that I don't have to deal with that. Good lu—"

"Hate to break it to you, Green Arrow," Batman started, "but you're helping. Even if that means you're helping in a wheelchair."

Flash snickered.

"And Flash, you will be doing double time."

"Hey! What's that for!?"

"Stalker's fast. You might be the only one who's faster. That, and you took a vacation leave these next two weeks, so you're out of work," Batman said.

"How do you even know that!?" Flash asked.

"I have eyes everywhere, Allen," he said, unimpressed.

Black Canary shook her head as another banter broke out. She sighed.

She missed the time when Robin was merely ten.

As she looked around her, she realized something:

They all did.

0o0o0o0

Wally was torn when he watched the news in front of him.

"These past few days, we have recent sightings of a new "hero" that has been roaming several cities, mainly Gotham. However, something about this hero is different from the rest," the news reporter said. A blurry picture of Stalker appeared in the corner of the screen. "Unlike previous heros' claims of a no-kill rule, this one seems more comfortable with providing lethal forces. Rumors have leaked that the League is tracking this hero down, but some think that this action is unwarranted. In fact, some have revealed that they are actually happy with the new hero taking a stand, and that there should be more strict heroes like this one. Today, we have Miss Raylee Strong and Glen Hodges to debate the topic." The camera moved to reveal two people sitting with the reporter. "Glen, you say that this new hero is dangerous to our society as a whole. Why do you think that?"

"Thank you for inviting me," the man said. "As to answer your question, this new hero is dangerous because it is disobeying our own laws. While it is true that our police are lacking when it comes to enforcing the law on stronger opponents, that does not mean we can allow some new man to come in and kill all of them. Not only is he breaking the law himself, but we are letting him get away with it under the excuse that "he's doing the right thing", and that's not—"

Raylee interrupted the man. "Why are we worrying about that?"

The man spluttered. "He is breaking the—"

"He is _enforcing_ the law," she said loudly, speaking to him like he was a child.

"He is not doing such a thing!" the main exclaimed. "We are fine without him—"

"No, we're not," the woman snapped. "You just—"

"I'm telling you, his services are hurting us. He is trying to assist in a place that's not welcome," Glen said.

Raylee stared at him like he was an idiot. "You literally _just_ said that our police are lacking. What do you mean that his assistance isn't welcome?"

"Then we should be getting on the police, not acquiring the help from a guy who's willing to shoot people on the street," the man argued.

"That sounds like a great idea," the woman said sarcastically. "It's not like the public hasn't been trying to do that for the past decade or so."

Glen opened his mouth, but Raylee cut him off.

"We have made absolutely _no_ progress in providing dependable security for several years. The League is helpful, but in the end, Joker has still managed to break out eighteen times in the past five years. And every time, he kills a few more people. Sometimes hundreds at a time. And then the League catches him and he's thrown back into Arkham, where he gets to sip tea and enjoy life. What about those who were killed? What about those who had loved ones that were killed? Did they ever get justice? And he's a single villain, what about the other hundred or so in Gotham alone?"

"The League is not responsible for carrying out our judicial systems," Glen argued. "They influence it, yes, and sometimes so heavily that sentences are practically their own words. However, at the end of the day, it's our own judges that make the decision, but we continue to look to the League as if they are to blame that the Joker and other villains continue their work. However, we should not be looking at the League at fault—it is our own system that is flawed. We should not let a killer be our protectors."

"It does not matter," Raylee said angrily. "The League has failed on many occasions to protect the people. The only times they were truly successful were when the few of them were solo and hadn't been chained to the no-kill rule. Take the attack on Queen's company a couple of days ago. Where were the heroes there? They arrived after the criminal had left. We need people who can stay on top of the security of the people. Here is a man who is willing to use more strict forces to provide suitable security for us. I say this to the League: Get on board, or get out of the way."

Wally felt himself smile grimly as he recognized the saying that Conner had said that continued to stick with him.

Raylee said her final words harshly. "I have a wife and three children, and I am not going to live in a world where I know that any bad guy can come and kidnap my daughters, sexually harass and kill them, and get away with it. Lethal force needs to start to become a new threat, because the rest of our "security" forces are too pathetic or corrupted to handle this stuff otherwise. And it _starts_ with this new hero."

The news reporter cleared her throat. "Thank you, Raylee, Glen. We have much to think about tonight." The woman was obviously shaken by the argument, being that she was new on the stage, but she continued speaking with a strong voice.

"Now continuing on this subject, our new hero, dubbed "Iron Man" by many due to his armor, has already swept through several of the darker parts of Gotham City. The bodies are still being found now, but, oddly enough, there are plenty of survivors amongst the most recent set of killings. Records show that only, ironically, mind you, murderers or rapists were killed. Other common criminals were spared, but they refuse to mention a word of anything that happened. Our new hero might just be even scarier than the Batman himse—"

Wally paused the video, trying not to scream at the new thoughts that were penetrating his conscience.

Was the League doing the right thing?

Was the woman right? Was taking lethal force the best thing to do?

Wally sighed as he placed his head in his hands. His stomach clenched uncomfortably at the thought of killing someone. He couldn't. He would have to put his hero suit up for good.

If it was really for the greater good, he supposed he would have to.

But did he really want to give it up?

"So you've seen the news, huh?"

Wally looked behind him, blinking wearily at the form of his uncle. "Uncle Barry?" he grumbled. "What are you doing here?"

"Just checking up on all of you. I wasn't aware that you were interested in the news at all. I thought you hated it," Flash said.

Wally frowned. "I do hate it, don't doubt that. It's boring as crap. And they talk about the same drama all the time," Wally complained as he rubbed his eyes.

"And yet you're watching it now," Barry reminded him.

Wally snorted. "Yeah, I guess I am. Now I never want to see it again." His smile faded as silence pressed up on them. "Uncle Barry?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, Wally?"

"What if that woman was right? What if the right thing to do isbytakinglethalforce? ImeanIdon'twanttogiveupbeingaherobutIcan'tkillsomeonethat'sjustridiculous..."

 **(Translator for Lazy People: "What if the right thing to do is by taking lethal force? I mean, I don't want to give up being a hero but I can't kill someone, that's just ridiculous.")**

Barry blinked. He sat next to Wally. He was quiet for a moment, and Wally was scared that he was mad until he spoke up again.

"Just remember, Wally, everything has its good things and bad things."

Wally's eyebrows furrowed.

"It is probably true that the world, in the short run, would be more safe if we decided to kill. Who did you watch again? Glen and Raylee?" At Wally's nod, he continued speaking. "Well, Glen was right about the League only being able to influence sentencing."

"Wait," Wally cried, "but you guys said that if you could treat Stalker like an adult criminal, then he would be put on the electric chair!"

Barry raised an eyebrow, a smile appearing on his face. "So you _were_ eavesdropping on us."

Wally closed his mouth, his face flushing deeply. He crossed his arms embarrassedly, puffing his cheeks out. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said.

Barry laughed and shook his head. "I'm not mad, Wally." His expression turned serious. "But it is true that the League has heavy influence on sentencing of criminals. Which is why we talked about treatment of Stalker. If we treated him like an adult, the judges would too. Which is difficult to decide, because we can't let him keep killing people. But, on the same token, he's just a kid. Do we give him slack, or do we stop what he's doing immediately, and with strong force? The moral choice, while it might not be the right one, is to treat him like an adult and collect him as soon as possible. But then the League's public image will suffer. We'll look like people who want to destroy any other way of treating criminals."

Wally frowned. "So we should let Stalker do what he's doing," he muttered.

"Not necessarily," Barry said. "Like I said, the League has influence. However, we are not the law. We help enforce it, yes, and we do it while trying not to break any laws. However, we cannot just do whatever we want. Stalker is not doing the same thing. He is evading the rules, and he is using the excuse that he's helping the people to cover it up. Which may be true now. Perhaps he just wants to help the people. However, that kind of thing sets off the balance between people's rights and privacy and their safety.

"Maybe he thinks he is doing the right thing, but what happens when people accept this new way of evading the law? Maybe it won't happen in the near future, but what happens when heroes ask for more? Would they be able to go through people's private information, place cameras in their homes and stalk all of their connections, their families and relationships? The minute we give one person the ability to break the law to help others, we set of a chain of dominoes. If they can kill people without going through the training that the police have to, can't they break just a few smaller laws? And then just a few more, and then a few more, until they have the ability to use their power to kill whoever they want to, and to have eyes looking on everyone else, disregarding their basic rights?"

Wally felt himself pale. "That doesn't sound like a good future," he said.

"No," Barry agreed, "it isn't. It's why we have to be extremely careful with who we let into the League. It's why we have to make sure we make the right choices so the world doesn't fall to corruption."

Barry took in Wally's thoughtful expression. He chuckled.

"Sorry for giving you such an explanation." He ruffled Wally's hair. "Don't worry about any of it. We'll figure it all out." He glanced at the computer screen. "I'm going to be late for another meeting. Try not to do anything crazy, alright?"

He stood up and speeded away, leaving Wally to his thoughts.

Something about that stood out to him, but every time the answer flashed across him, it would leave before he could truly grab ahold of it.

Sighing, he switched to a different tab on the computer, his fingers dancing across the keyboard.

He was stuck in the Watchtower, the least he could do to help was to try and figure out some mysteries. He pulled up the one thing that continued to bug him to this day:

Project Source.

Wally scanned the description, long since having memorized it years ago. He quickly scrolled through different reports describing how they managed to teach it basic human speech. Finally, he came across the actual background of the people making it.

 _There were exclusively eighty-one people working on the project in shifts, most of which were people who had been denied scientific occupations, though there were few that had prior research success. The project was introduced by Aisha Devries, Lashawna Norfleet, and Bo Needham. Using contacts from all over the globe, they eventually managed to create a big enough group to tap into this "source" of power._

 _[Source of power's initial beginning is unknown. Further investigation is required.]_

 _Devries was the original leader of the project. However, she was soon driven to insanity from interacting with the Source, and she eventually became so enthralled with the experiment that she ended up going inside the tank by herself after researching hours. She was found dead in the tank, though there is no evidence to support how she died._

 _Erna Danner, despite being only seventeen years old, took over as the new leader. He_ _helped_ _create new suits used when physically interacting with the Source._ _Danner's invention helped eliminate any more deaths by mental manipulation. However, some still received fatal blows when the Source reacted negatively. Click_ _here_ _for profile of Danner._

 _The project had been going on for several years when the Source broke free from its tank. Killing up to seventeen more people, Danner's researchers (who had the unfortunate circumstance to be there that day) were forced to call in the League._

 _The League swept through floors twenty-six and twenty-seven—which was where the project was taking place—of the_ Over Ventures _labs._

Wally's eyes narrowed as he recognized the lab's name from the labs that the Team had infiltrated (and fled from) weeks ago. There was more than one lab, so they weren't in the same location, but still...

Perhaps _Over Venture_ wasn't as innocent as they claimed to be.

 _The people working on the first few floors denied any knowledge of what was going on. When proclaimed clear, and that the Source had left the building, Batman and the Flash allowed their sidekicks Robin and Kid Flash to explore the building. From Kid Flash's recounts, Robin suffered from the loss of most of his right leg and trauma to his left shoulder. He also disappeared within the Source. Kid Flash suffered from_

 _[Content restricted. Please request League member Batman to unlock barrier.]_

 _Using the list of workers and profiles, the League tracked down many of the workers that took part in this project. Fifty-four people were accounted for, dead or alive. The list below is the list of the people who worked in the project._

 _Underlines indicate those found and tried. Stars indicate those who were dead._

Aisha Devries*  
Lashawna Norfleet  
Bo Needham*  
Erna Danner  
Samuel Bates   
Fred Kim   
Kurt Mclaughlin   
Martin Mcbride   
Toni Griffith  
Seth Casey   
Earl Shelton  
Meghan Bowers   
Edna Henderson  
Troy Floyd   
Ricardo Chavez*  
Peggy Lindsey*  
Mario Mccarthy   
Angel Hicks   
Wesley Lyons  
Kathryn Lane*  
Delbert Arnold   
Stewart Boyd   
Joanne Reeves  
Reginald Sherman*  
Lester Moreno   
Ernest Neal   
Cynthia Higgins*   
Sabrina Payne   
Marsha Sparks  
Sharon Carroll   
Lorenzo Hammond*  
Pete Pittman  
Rachel Fernandez   
Amos Frank  
Caroline Phillips  
Sylvester Sutton   
Ellis Young   
Alexander Fields  
Nicholas Doyle  
Omar Singleton  
Opal Rose   
Willis Lucas  
Krista Robbins*  
Ian Gardner*  
Olive Mills  
Gene Murray  
Joshua Barber*  
Lonnie Garcia   
Andres Gordon   
Elvira Nelson  
Edmund Wolfe   
Mildred Haynes   
Jan Green  
Monica Watson*  
Martha Paul  
Beth Baker  
Franklin Bowman   
Myron Alvarado  
Florence Ball  
Alma Massey*  
Lorene Turner   
Gayle Bowen   
Audrey Duncan   
Bonnie Cox  
Grace Rodriguez*  
Nadine Moran  
Stella Vargas   
Willie Fuller  
Jaime Sims   
Carlton Harrison*  
Marlene Ross   
Darla Moody  
Deborah Harmon   
Lena Delgado*  
Leonard Rios  
Naomi Cobb   
Eula Ellis*  
Yolanda Tyler  
Jose Carpenter  
Leon Curtis*  
Phillip Padilla

Wally stared at the list for a moment longer. He felt a little sick to his stomach.

He shook his head. Looked at the list again.

His eyes widened. He muttered a curse. And then two. And then three, four, five, six, seven.

Like a mantra.

He looked at the profile of Erna Danner. Recognized the dark, mangy hair. The clean-shaven face. Plastic surgery had obviously been done to change some of his features, but it was still there. The dark eyes. The crazed look he had.

 _... We'll all be fucked up._

The truth flew right up to him. His fingers brushed against it, but then it was gone. All that was left was one, burning question.

 _It's why we have to be extremely careful with who we let into the League._

Then why did Batman let Stalker in without a second thought?

He stood up. He threw the computer on the couch. He felt his breath coming out in short bursts.

He rushed to the zeta tubes.

 _Try not to do anything crazy, alright?_

He needed some fresh air.

 _Agent A had a heart attack._

Did he really?

 _I've called you in order to help with your input._

Batman was the World's Greatest Detective.

 _The League has taken this "epidemic" with a grain of salt, and any theories are welcomed._

Wally could barely feel his hands typing away as he hacked the zeta tubes. He could barely feel the zeta tubes teleporting him away.

The Watchtower.

 _The Watchtower._

 _ **The Watchtower.**  
_

 _ **The Watchtower.** __  
_

He needed some fresh air.


	19. Chapter 19

**Psych: Thank you, thank you, thank you! That means so much to me. I'm so, so, so glad you're enjoying this. It makes my heart swell that you're enjoying this completely. I do feel a bit guilty now, though. The next few chapters are a bit disappointing. The end probably will be too. XD Though we'll see. That might just be my inner voice telling me that. And I'm super glad that I'm one of those rare stories that you stumble across. It just makes me all giddy thinking about it! I hope that you'll come to enjoy what's to come. :D**

Roy wasn't sure that his used-to-be best friend was completely human anymore.

He watched quietly as Stalker paced in front of him. His eyes were dark. His expression was cold.

He didn't strike Roy as his best friend. At all. It was almost as if he was a totally different person. And that scared Roy.

What happened to the ray of sunshine all those years ago?

 _Robin was scowling. His feelings were obviously hurt, but Roy ignored the guilt that was threatening to swallow him whole. "Look," his fourteen-year-old self said, "just leave me alone. I don't want to talk to you."_

 _Robin's frown deepened. He sighed. "Lighten up, Francis," he said. "Nobody likes an angsty teenager."_

 _"Go away."_

 _Robin shook his head. "Fine. Me and Wally are going now. When I come back, you should stop acting so mean. Then we can talk about you and Green Arrow."_

It took him four years, but he was back now.

And he didn't care about his problems with his mentor.

The boy in front of him sighed. "Don't move," he called to him as he made his way to the exit.

Not like he really could, anyways. His body was in the form of a star, his wrists and ankles chained against the wall opposite of the many monitors that Stalker used. He had very little to eat—a sort of broth had been his only meal since he came to—and he was only allowed to have a drink occasionally.

He didn't have any sort of mouthpiece to get him to be quiet, and so the archer had yelled himself to sleep the first day and a half. However, no one heard him—he guessed he was underground or somewhere abandoned.

With no one to talk to, and Stalker all but ignoring him, Roy was given a lot of time to think. It wasn't something he really did often, nor was it something that he actually enjoyed doing, but he had no other choice.

So he was quite surprised how many conflicts he managed to solve or find a solution to by just hanging there, silent and thinking. Maybe he should have done it a long time ago.

Nah.

He blinked when all source of light went out around him. The door that Stalker exited through shut loudly, sending echoes through the room.

He closed his eyes, getting ready to get what little rest he could. For a second, he thought he heard his comm crackle, but he was sure that that was just him hallucinating. It wasn't the first time he imagined it. And anyways, the comm only had contact to the League's systems, and that connection had been blocked.

 _"Hey, hey, hey! Don't go to sleep on me now, Color-Swap Arrow!"_

Roy's eyes snapped open. "What?" he said dazedly.

 _"Oh good, you're awake. How's life been holding up for you?"_

"... Who the hell is this?"

 _"Name's Grayson Johnson."_

Roy, dumbfounded, didn't speak for a second. "How the hell did you get into my comm?"

A laugh echoed in his ear. _"I hacked, dummy. I'm not an idiot."_

Roy shook his head at his luck. "Look, I need you to use your hacking skills to contact the League so they can rescue me—"

 _"Whoah, whoah, whoah, slow down there,"_ the voice said. _"I can do a lotta stuff for ya, but the League isn't one of them."_

Roy grew impatient. "Then why the hell are you—"

 _"Hey, I said I was_ going _to help you, just not by contacting the League. Geez, does no one have faith in me?"_

"You never said you were going to help me," Roy deadpanned.

 _"... Well frijoles, that's a disappointment,"_ Grayson said. _"Anyways, I have a friend that's gonna come and loosen your chains and whatnot. He's also gonna give you a weapon. When the time comes, I'm gonna need you to break free from your chains and use the weapon against the Dark Lord."_

Roy raised an eyebrow. "And why don't you just free me from my chains completely?"

 _" 'Cause the timing's not right, duh. It would mess up the entire thing. Also 'cause we need some dramatic action, sweetie."_

Roy shook his head. "Rigghhhtt. And who exactly is your friend?"

A shuffling sound ensued, and then he heard the comm link cut.

Roy was sent back into the deep silence.

0o0o0o0

 _Grayson Johnson smiled in awe as he stared up at the giant building in front of him._

 _Gotham Academy. Paradise was what it was. It was huge compared to the dumpy public school he went to for two years._

 _He shook his head, trying to get himself to pay attention to his surroundings. Ten students stood in front of the school, each holding their own signs. On each sign a name was printed._

 _Ten people got scholarships to the school. Ten students would introduce them to the school._

 _Looking for his own sign, he felt his face heat up when he realized who he was stuck with. A small girl with dyed pink hair pulled into a ponytail was standing on her toes, looking over the small crowds to see if she could spot the person who matched her sign's name._

 _Swallowing heavily, Grayson awkwardly coughed. The girl looked over to him, her eyes immediately looking over his shoulder. "Oh, uh, hey," she said. "What do you need?"_

 _Grayson felt shame start to slowly scratch at his innards._

 _He recognized that look._

 _"My name's Grayson," he said quietly, still looking at her face as she avoided his._

 _"Oh," she said lamely, her disappointment evident. She shifted on her feet, tucking the sign underneath her armpit. She looked at Grayson, smiling sweetly as her hands smoothed down the fabric of her vest and skirt._

 _Her smile was a little too sweet._

 _"Well, the tour's inside. Welcome to the middle school," she said._

 _She turned, not looking back to see if Grayson was following her. He was, but all of his excitement for attending the new school suddenly dissipated. He felt a dark cloud slowly form over his head._

 _Was his face really that bad?_

0o0o0o0

 _Grayson had been to Gotham Academy for a year. He thought it would get better, but then he was pushed up another grade. Which meant that he was forced to enter high school without any of the friends he had made in seventh grade (and due to the skip, he hadn't even met any of the eighth graders.)_

 _He liked holding his head down. That way he couldn't see all the looks he got when he walked down the hallway. But it was a new school year, in a new place, and the school was huge. He needed help and directions, badly._

 _He paused by a young brunette who was chatting amiably with a girl. The girl snorted before going into a fit of laughter._

 _"E-excuse me?" Grayson asked. The girl stopped laughing. The boy looked up at him, took one look at him, and clamped his mouth shut. His eyes grew cold._

 _"I'm sorry," he said, "we're busy. We have to go." He stood up, holding his hand out for the girl. She opened her mouth, looking to Grayson._

 _"Alex—"_

 _"Let's go, Hannah."_

 _Her mouth was pressed into a thin line. She sent him an apologetic glance and took his hand, and the two walked away._

 _Grayson stood there, looking at his feet. Whole crowds of laughing and chatting students passed around him. He blinked back tears._

 _He turned towards a group of three girls walking by him, opening his mouth._

 _"I'm sorry—"_

 _Two of the girls didn't even look his way, while the third did. She paused momentarily, as if surprised, and then continued on as if she didn't hear him._

 _Grayson felt his eyes burn. He released a shaky breath. He held his books close to his chest._

 _"Are you lost?" a voice called out._

 _Hesitant, Grayson turned around. The girl blinked in surprise, her eyebrows shooting up, and her smile seemed a little more forced, but she remained polite._

 _"Yeah," Grayson said._

 _She gave him a piteous smile. "My name's Bette Kane. What can I help you with?"_

 _"I can't find one of my classes," Grayson admitted._

 _"What class are you going to?"_

 _Grayson looked at his schedule in his arms. "History," he answered._

 _She pointed down the opposite hallway. "Down that hallway, and take a right. It should be the second door on your left."_

 _"Thank you," Grayson said._

 _She nodded and rushed away, her piteous smile remaining ever on her face._

 _He hated it._

0o0o0o0

 _Another new grade, a new life. He could finally shed his old skin and release his beautiful wings._

 _He wished._

 _Many of the students still didn't know him. He liked hiding in the shadows. And that was one of the sources of his continuous problems._

 _See, he needed to get to his locker, but there was just one problem:_

 _A jock was leaning against it._

 _Grayson licked his lips. "U-uh, excuse me..."_

 _The boy looked to him an raised an eyebrow. "Something the matter?"_

 _"W-well, you see..."_

 _He glared. "Look, just speak up or get out of the way."_

 _Grayson looked up. "You're leaning on my locker..."_

 _The boy looked shocked. Swallowed. "Oh, right... Here." He moved out of the way, but he moved just a little too far._

 _Like he was disgusted, almost._

 _Grayson felt his face flush. His eyes burned again._

 _Why did he have to be so ugly?_

 _He quickly grabbed all of his books before rushing to next class. He heard snickers and low, inaudible voices following him. A screech, a howl of laughter, and then a sound like an animal._

 _He could faintly hear the words, "My face is a gorilla's! Ooo, ooo, ooo!"_

 _Grayson wanted to cry._

0o0o0o0

 _Grayson always ate alone. He sat at the small table in the corner of the cafeteria, where no one could see his face. He faced the wall so he didn't have to see anyone making fun of him._

 _Grayson was very, very good at remembering different faces and facts._

 _He didn't have the most common sense, however._

 _It was a depressing existence, no doubt._

 _And that was the day that it happened._

 _"You shouldn't—" Bette Kane said, but it was too late._

 _"I'm sitting here. I'll meet you later."_

 _A blonde-haired girl plopped herself in front of him. She had a slight tint to her skin tone and her eyes were dark. She was definitely pretty._

 _Grayson expected her face to change even the slightest bit, but it didn't._

 _"Name's Artemis Crock," the girl said, and she reached her hand out. "What's yours?"_

 _Grayson allowed himself a little smile. "Grayson Johnson."_

 _She nodded. "Nice to meet you, Grayson."_

 _He stared at her. Titled his head. Grinned. "You ever used a bow and arrow, Arty?"_

 _Artemis blinked. She leaned forward and placed her chin on the palm of her hand. "Why do you ask?"_

 _"Artemis is a goddess that uses a bow. Plus, you look eerily similar to the new hero on that Team."_

 _She blinked. She attempted to smile. "I wish. I'm not athletic, at all."_

 _Grayson smiled. "Then I'm wrong when I say that the big Green recruited you in from a family of criminals and your sister's name is Jade and you and Kid don't get along at all?"_

 _She stared at him. "How the fuck?"_

 _Grayson grinned. "I'm smart, princess. And plus, I've been wondering about you all day. Some things just didn't add up." His eyes brightened. "Oh, and I hacked the cameras to the Cave. That's soooooo cool! I wish I could go."_

 _She shook her head. "I was expecting to have a nice chat and make a poor boy feel better. I wasn't planning on having my identity compromised."_

 _Grayson shrugged. "Well, that's how life works. I'm good at memorizing facts and people's faces. And I may or may not be obsessed with the team. Not very good at the whole common sense thing, though. Anyways, what's life like hanging with the greens and reds?" he rambled._

 _Artemis stared at him. "You're one weird boy."_

 _Grayson laughed. "You're noticing that just now?"_

And that, my friends, is how their friendship began.

Pretty stupid, amiright? Hilarious, though.

0o0o0o0

 **I AM SURE ALL OF YOU HAVE NOTICED IT.**

 **I AM HERE TO SHATTER ALL OF YOUR HOPES.**

 **RICHARD JOHN GRAYSON.**

 **GRAYSON RICK JOHNSON.**

 **BOTH EXCELLENT HACKERS.**

 **BOTH A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.**

 **IT WOULD ADD UP, WOULDN'T IT?**

 **THEN YOU WOULD HAVE YOUR PERFECT ENDING.**

 **THERE'S JUST ONE PROBLEM:**

 **THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A PERFECT ENDING.**

 **GRAYSON JOHNSON IS NOT RICHARD GRAYSON.**

 **I'M SORRY FOR CRUSHING YOUR HOPES AND DREAMS,**

 **BUT IT WAS BETTER TO DO IT BEFORE THE HOPE SPREAD.**

 **LIKE RIPPING OFF A BAND-AID.**

0o0o0o0

Grayson sat at his desk, his jaw resting on his hands. He was smiling dreamily.

He was staring at a picture of Kid Flash.

If Miss Martian was there, she would probably comment on the pink aura waves he emitted and the imaginary hearts that popped around his head.

Everyone had their celebrity crush. You couldn't blame him for it being Wally.

He suddenly blinked and snapped out of his trance. Realizing he had been staring at the same picture for the past three minutes, he closed out of the tab on his computer. Looking to the door of his bedroom to make sure that his parents were still asleep, he turned back around in his rolling chair.

He looked back to his computer and to the minimized tab. He pouted before sighing, knowing that he had better things to be doing other than looking at his favorite hero. Quickly typing on the keyboard in front of him, he tried calling Artemis. He waited patiently, but when she didn't respond, he frowned.

This was the third time that she didn't respond to him.

Worried, he quickly brought up the camera recordings from the Team's secret base in the mountain. The lights were all turned off, making it hard to discern anything in the rooms. Grayson's frown deepened.

Where was the Team?

He hadn't checked up on them in months. Artemis had long convinced him to give them some privacy and told him that it wasn't something normal people did, and so he only checked every so often to make sure everything was fine. Clearly, something happened.

But what?

He leaned back in his chair, twisting himself around in circles as he thought deeply. He had vital information, and he wanted to use it to the Team's advantage. He was always helping Artemis getting caught up to date with new comings and goings of crime.

The League often assumed that she got it from her family's connections with other criminals, but the truth of the matter was that Artemis never got anything from her family. Her mother was the only one to continue to treat her like so, while her father often wouldn't even look at her. She was, in his eyes, a walking betrayal to the family. Her sister was often pushing Artemis around, but recently her hatred toward her younger sister had lightened when she managed to get Roy to date her.

In fact, Jade had even started to act supportive of Artemis. When his friend came back from a brief period of inactivity, she and Jade met up and had _Krispy Kreme_ donuts as treat for Artemis' good grades. The only reason Grayson knew of it was because Artemis gushed about it when they talked.

He made sure to actually pay attention to her that time.

She rarely talked so freely about anything. Usually it was always him begging her to talk about what was happening in her super hero life and him enthusiastically talking about how he saw the Batmobile pass by his street once.

He was happy to see her so happy.

Still spinning in his chair, he thought of all the possibilities that could have happened. He didn't have much common sense, so it was hard to dispel theories of crazy alien abductions, but he finally across an idea. He quickly stuck out his leg and stopped the chair from moving, feeling dizziness strike him heavily from spinning in the same direction.

He grinned to himself as he typed away at his keyboard furiously, enjoying the sounds of the keys clacking away. Numbers ran across the screen, eventually bringing up several files. He was quick to go go through one, and he found himself at the files of the floating whatamacallit.

Wasn't it called the Watchdog or something?

He smiled to himself when he spotted several of the Team members walking around leisurely around the building. He swung his legs back and forth childishly.

He was pretty sure that they weren't allowed in there before, but he guessed he was wrong. He was really, really good at remembering dates and numbers and stuff, but keeping up to date with the latest new stories never stuck with him. This included drama and ideas of humor, which resulted in him never getting the point of vines and jokes that spread around the internet.

You don't know how many times he replied with "Shoes" whenever someone asked him "What are those!" several years back when the joke was still relevant.

His eyes glazed over the screen which showed all the different cameras' view, trying to find the one with Kid Flash. He finally did, spotting him rushing through the hallways. He entered one of the zeta tubes, fumbling with the controls. Finally hacking into one, he teleported himself away.

Grayson was fanboying too much over seeing him outside of his costume—and the many freckles he had—to notice the dark look the boy had on his face.

It was then that Grayson noticed that Red Arrow wasn't there. His smile faded as he searched for the nineteen-year-old. Rewinding the recordings, he frowned when Red Arrow didn't appear almost immediately. He sped it up, sitting anxiously. He freaked out when he spotted the man go through several different camera's views. Muttering several different child-friendly curses, he finally managed to get the right camera's position to see what the heck was going on.

Watching it carefully, he watched with squinted eyes when the scene folded out before him:

Roy attacked by Mr. Weird—when did he get there again?—and was carried away to the zeta tubes. He watched as Mr. Weird struck out a pose and blew a kiss before leaving through with Red Arrow in tow. Grayson blinked, confusion washing over him before a lightbulb appeared over his head.

So that was the person that that "Iron Man" guy had kidnapped. Smiling to himself, he exited the League files and started typing away. He started to type out a long text to Artemis, explaining the situation. He had placed the last period when his finger hovered over the enter button.

It was one thing to explain it to Artemis when she was alone, but would she tell the League?

He swallowed heavily and hesitated. He couldn't let her do that, as helpful as it would be.

No, no, he couldn't.

Licking his lips, he deleted the text and frowned. He sat back in his chair. He couldn't just ignore the situation at hand. But what else was he supposed to do?

And then a smile lit up his face. Quickly opening up the drawer of his desk, he pulled out a comm that he always hid. He activated it and placed it in his ear.

"Hey, I need your help," he said.

Silence met him. One second passed. Then two.

"If this is another question about what size you think Kid Flash's is, then I'm going to slap you," came the response.

Grayson felt his face flush. "I have never wondered such a disgusting thing!" he replied.

"... How drunk on sugar were you last time we talked?"

Grayson stopped to think. "Uhhh..."

"My point is proven," the voice came. "What was it you needed, since it obviously isn't about Kid Flash?"

Grayson felt his face continue to burn. "Would it be possible for you to sneak away from wherever you are to help me out?"

A sigh reached him. "Grayson, I'm with the Shadows right now. There's no way I could effectively sneak away without a huge chance of getting caught."

Grayson frowned. "It's really important though," he said.

Silence greeted him. "How important are we talking?"

"Red Arrow's been taken by that "Iron Man" person that's been going around. I need you to get to him and help him," Grayson said.

The person on the other side exhaled heavily. "Give me some more details. I want to know where he is, and then I might be able to help you out."

Grayson quickly typed into his computer. "Give me a minute, I need to hack into the security systems." Humming to himself, he let out a noise of pride when he managed to get in. Telling the other person where he was, Grayson heard them sigh again.

"I'll try my best to help him. I can't just let him go, but I'll loosen up his chains so he can escape when he needs to. I think I might be able to get the help of the prieten for a weapon or something."

Grayson raised an eyebrow to himself. "I thought you two weren't on speaking terms?"

"... He isn't as much of a jerk as I thought he was. He does actually care. He just can't make it seem like he does, or else he'll attract the attention of the authorities, and then he can't do anything," the other voice admitted.

"Who did he help?" Grayson asked.

"... Me."

Grayson felt his mouth dry. "Are you alright!? They didn't hurt you, did they!?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry about me, alright? I can take care of myself." The other's voice was filled with worry, as if scared about worrying the young boy. "Look, I'll see what I can do. Tell Red Arrow I'll be there tonight, okay?"

Grayson frowned as the comm cut. He opened the drawer back up and placed the comm gently back in.

He looked back to the computer, watching "Iron Man" leave the room. He watched the cameras adjust to the darkness. Suddenly, all the happiness drained away from him. He was just a kid, and he was dealing with one too many things. But most of all, he was scared.

Rightfully so.

0o0o0o0

Wally got the fresh air he wanted. He was standing on the roof of a small building. Around him sat a deteriorating town that was limping along with time itself. The only things that were keeping it up were the hopes that things would get better.

It was the perfect place for someone to stop and think.

Wally was leaning against the end of the railing of the roof. He was deep in thought, trying to piece together all of the scrambled thoughts in front of him.

It was there, he just couldn't place a finger on it.

He felt the wind gently touching the side of his face. His hair moved with the motion of the wind, and he blinked to keep his eyes from drying out. Beneath his feet, the rotting roof sank with his weight. A small tree next to the building reached upwards, struggling to spread its branches. Small leaves were plucked from the tree with the wind, blowing past Wally. The sun was starting to set, its rays casting shadows on the small town. Clouds slowly moved across the sky, all of them white and fluffy.

"You were never one to listen to rules."

Wally tensed up. He turned around to see the boy he had missed for three years standing there. His mask off, Wally could see all the little details of his face.

The sharp cheekbones, small rounded nose, and box-shaped jaw. Dark blue, flat irises stared straight through him. Long locks of black hair fell around his face and head.

Stalker tilted his head to the side. "Then again, neither of us were." A frown tugged at his lips. "What are you doing out of the Watchtower, Wallace?"

Wally licked his lips. He felt his throat constrict. "I needed some fresh air," came his lame response.

Stalker stared at him for a long time in silence before he finally made a move. He walked to the side of the building, looking out over the tree and to the setting sun. "You are aware that I could kill you right now, right? There's a reason why the League kept you inside," he said without looking at him.

Wally continued to stare at Stalker. "I was hoping that it wouldn't come to that," Wally admitted quietly.

When Stalker didn't say anything, Wally asked the question he had in mind for a long time.

"The entire reason for you being in the Watchtower... Was it really just to reveal who you really are?"

Stalker didn't even turn to look at Wally. "Would there be any other reason?" he replied dryly.

Wally closed his eyes. The comment was like a slap to the face. "Why are you doing this?" he asked.

Stalker snorted. "If I could have destroyed most of the big-time criminal groups before I eliminated the League, I would have. But the minute I would have done something destructive, you guys would have been hot on my tail. Best to take out you so I don't have to walk on eggshells later. Simple as that."

Stalker turned to face Wally. "As for the reason why I'm doing it in the first place, well... I think we both know the answer to that."

"There are other ways to do this, Robin," Wally said desperately. "I can promise you that the League just wants whats best for—"

"You promise?" Stalker said bitterly. He laughed. "What promises? Like the promise that you wouldn't drop me?"

Wally felt like someone just ripped out what was left of his heart and stomped on it. His lips were pressed into a grim line.

"Robin, you have to know that you can't possibly get away with this. People won't agree with your ideas of—"

"I don't think you understand," Stalker interrupted. "The League might be fine and dandy now, where they can just wave their wands and say whatever the hell they want and have it come true, but I don't plan on simply destroying the League. As long as there aren't any witnesses to what I've been doing, then the evidence piles against you and the League. People will think you're the bad guys. I'm sure you've already seen the people starting to grow suspicious of you."

Wally felt a pang of irritation go through him. "You can't just evade people forever. There has to be at least one that's outside the League that can bring your actions to justice."

"You're right," Stalker conceded. "But it's not as if I can't take action to stop that them. The solution is simple: Kill the witnesses."

Wally felt like he was going to be sick. A frog sat at the back of his throat.

Kill?

Kill.

Robin killed.

He killed a lot.

It was a slap to the face.

Stalker stared Wally down a long time. He closed his eyes and shook his head. His words were soft when he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Wally. But the truth is there. Every story needs its bad guy. And if I have to be the bad guy, then so be it."

He was gone before Wally could say anything else. The redhead's knees hit the ground. He curled up onto the rooftop as the sun started to make its destination beneath the horizon. The rooftop beneath him sagged.

The truth flew past him. It brushed his fingers.

Wally grabbed a hold of it. He squeezed it in his hand.

He held it there for a long, long time.

When Wally looked up, his mouth was wide open.

He blinked.

He knew.

 _Batman._

Every story needs its bad guy.


	20. Chapter 20

**Ashuri: First of all, before I talk about everything you said, (thank you so much for your long review, by the way!) I hope you did well on your exams! They really do suck. Now, for your many questions, I'm happy to say that some are revealed in this chapter. But I'll go through them just to ease your mind. First of all:**

 **Is the "Shadows" the League of Shadows? Well, that's revealed in the very last chapter. ;) Not saying anything right now.**

 **Are the birds returning for** **kick-assery? I wish, but no. You'll see really soon why that's to be. XD**

 **When you say a Best Buds Fight Scene, do you mean Wally and Robin fighting? 'Cause I'll just say this: They beat the crap out of one another soon.**

 **For the Batman question, that's revealed this chapter! Yay! What a coincidence, right?**

 **Anyways, I'm super hesitant to reveal anything because this story is twenty five chapters long. We don't have much left in term of that. (The last few chapters are much, much longer though, so they might as well be several chapters long.) As for when the climax happens:**

 **Here you go.**

* * *

 **WARNING: CONTENT BELOW MAY CONTAIN OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE AND SCENES. NO, IT IS NOT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM RELATED TO SEXUAL INTERCOURSES. CALM DOWN, READERS.**

"Is this the path we truly want to go down?"

"We have to. This new hero might be the League's enemy, but he's ours, too."

"He is correct. Elimination comes first. The question is how we plan to do so."

"If that's how you truly feel, then I can help."

"Spit it out. We do not have time to waste."

"I can send one of our fighters to track him down. The minute he's stationary, we'll drop one on him."

"Sounds devastating."

"Take it or leave it. I'm not offering again."

"Well I'm not leaving it, that's for sure."

"Then we have our plan?"

"If this doesn't work, though, we will have a mess to clean up."

"There's always a mess to clean up. Just be glad that it isn't your innards this time."

* * *

 **IT IS NEAR MIDNIGHT WHEN THE FOLLOWING CONVERSATION TAKES PLACE. IT WILL NOT MAKE SENSE TO YOU. DO NOT WORRY YOUR LITTLE HEAD OVER IT.**

 **EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE.**

 **AT THE SAME TIME THIS INTERACTION IS HAPPENING, SOMETHING ELSE IS OCCURRING.**

 **SOMETHING MUCH, MUCH MORE IMPORTANT.**

 **IT MIGHT DO YOU BEST TO JUST SKIP OVER THIS CONVERSATION COMPLETELY, WOULDN'T YOU AGREE?**

 **ERROR**

 **YOU DO NOT BELIEVE ME.**

 **...**

 **YOU ARE WISE TO DO SO.**

"Why didn't you tell me?" Wally asked Batman. At the younger's request, the two met up in a private room to talk.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Batman replied.

"Robin. Stalker." When he got no further reply, he continued. "You're the World's Greatest Detective. Don't tell me you didn't know, because I know you do."

Batman turned to face Wally. He stared the young boy up and down, peering into his soul.

"You figured it out," he said.

"Well no shit," Wally spat.

"How did you?"

Wally scowled. "When everyone else was referring to Stalker when he first came into the picture, everyone used the pronoun "they." You used "he." It was just one too many things that was off."

Batman's eyes narrowed. "That could have could have meant anything."

Wally crossed his arms. "It could have," he said icily.

"... You're mad."

Wally rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm fucking mad. And I'm also starting to question your detective skills."

Batman sighed. "I didn't have a choice, Wally. It was either remain silent or-"

"Or what!?" Wally yelled. When Batman didn't respond, he threw his arm out to the side in frustration. "Dozens upon dozens of people have died, Bats. Murdered! And _you_ knew the answer the entire time!"

"Yes," Batman said in a gravelly voice. "I did. And I continue to tell you that I couldn't say a word."

"Oh right," Wally said sarcastically. "Lemme guess, "Bruce Wayne" would loose a couple thousand bucks, right? Or maybe a girl from a one night stand six years ago-"

"You really have so little faith in me," Batman replied.

Wally stared at him like he was an idiot. "Of course I don't have faith in you," he snarled. "You willingly didn't say anything about it, causing all those people to get killed. Criminals or no, what you did was wrong!"

"I couldn't have said anything about it," Batman said. "The minute I would have, Stalker would've activated a virus that's currently living inside of a fellow hero, and his death would have been on my hands. And I had already promised Barry that I wouldn't let-" He stopped, almost as if he realized what he was saying shouldn't have been said.

The burning rage that Wally originally had had dampened to a light simmer. He felt his face pale. "Batman?" he asked.

"Don't worry about it, Wally," Batman said.

"I think I am going to worry about it," Wally shot back. He exhaled shakily before leaning back on the desk behind him. A moment of silence passed. "He threatened to kill me if you said anything?"

The whites of Batman's cowl closed. It was all the confirmation that Wally needed. And it suddenly came crashing upon him. He held his head in his hands. His breath caught in his throat.

"All those deaths," came his muffled voice, "were because of me?"

A hand was placed on his shoulder. "It wasn't your fault, chum."

It didn't ease the guilt that was slowly growing heavier on his shoulders.

* * *

 **AS I SAID, SOMETHING BIGGER IS GOING ON AT THIS MOMENT.**

 **I THINK IT MIGHT BE BEST IF I TAKE OVER AND DESCRIBE JUST WHAT IS HAPPENING, DON'T YOU AGREE?**

 **OUR SETTING IS AT WAYNE TOWERS.**

 **I THINK YOU KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING.**

 **OUR CHARACTERS ARE AT A MERE FIVE IN THIS SCENE:**

 **THE FLASH, RED TORNADO, GREEN LANTERN (HAL JORDAN), PLASTIC MAN, AND BLACK CANARY.**

 **IT IS A QUIET MOMENT.**

 **"HEY CANARY?" JORDAN ASKS AS HE LOOKS OVER THE DARK CITY. THE WIND BRUSHES HIS HAIR ACROSS HIS FOREHEAD. CARS HONK QUIETLY, THE WORLD SEEMING ALL SO FAR AWAY FROM UP HERE ON THE ROOFTOP OF WAYNE TOWERS.**

 **"YEAH?" BLACK CANARY REPLIES. HER THROAT HAS FULLY RECOVERED.**

 **"WHEN THIS IS ALL OVER, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH THE PUBLIC? THEY'RE GOING TO BE LIVID WHEN THEY REALIZE THAT WE'VE TAKEN DOWN THEIR HERO."**

 **BLACK CANARY SHRUGS. "IT'S NOT AS IF EVERYONE LIKES STALKER, GREEN LANTERN. JUST A FEW. AND ANYWAYS," SHE PAUSES TO ADJUST HER BELT. "THE TRUTH HAS TO COME OUT SOONER OR LATER. WE HAVE TO SHOW THE WORLD WHAT THAT TRUTH IS."**

 **JORDAN FROWNS. "WHAT WOULD THAT TRUTH BE?"**

 **BLACK CANARY'S LIPS PRESS INTO A GRIM LINE. "THAT KIDS CAN BE JUST AS DANGEROUS AS EVERYONE ELSE," SHE SAYS.**

 **THE SILENCE LASTS 7.666666666666666666666666689 SECONDS.**

 **IT SEEMS AS IF THE DEVIL HAS BEEN HERE.**

 **AND HE HAS.**

 **BLACK CANARY PLACES A HAND ON HER HIP. "IF IT COMES DOWN TO IT, HAL, YOU CAN BLAME THE ENTIRE EVENT ON ME. YOU ALREADY HAVE THE VIDEO RECORDINGS FROM THE INTERROGATION, AND I _HAVE_ BEEN SORT OF RUTHLESS RECENTLY WITH THE CRIMINALS IN STAR CITY. YOU COULD EASILY PLAY IT OFF AS ME TURNING SIDES OR WHATEVER." SHE BLOWS A BANG OFF THE RIDGE OF HER EYEBROW. "THE ONLY PROBLEM WOULD BE THE TEAM. THEY WOULD TOTALLY REFUSE IT." SHE SMILES SADLY. "I GUESS I'D HAVE TO GIVE UP BEING DEN MOTHER, WOULDN'T I?"**

 **WHEN NO ONE RESPONDS, SHE FROWNS. SHE TURNS AROUND.**

 **"HAL?"**

 **SHE IS ALONE.**

 **HER COMMS UNIT BLARES AWAKE.**

 **"HAL?" SHE ASKS AGAIN, FRIGHTENED.**

 **THE DEVIL HAS BEEN HERE.**

 **AND ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE.**

* * *

(I had this super cool formatting thing, but this website doesn't let me use it, so I'm just putting it all in one long column. I'm sorry that you can't, though if you do want to see it, I can direct you to a different website where you can. Excuse all the different bolded, italicized, and underlined phrases. It was meant to help you understand the text. XD)

"FUCK!"

 **"HAL!?"**

 _"Flash,_ _where the hell are you!?"_

 **"MOVE!"**

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?"

"HAILING WATCHTOWER: WAYNE

TOWERS HAVE BEEN ATTACKED!

REQUESTING ALL REINFORCEMENTS!"

 _"DAMMIT!"_

"HE'S TOO FAST"

"SHIT, _NO_!"

 **"He's heading to the east tower!"**

"TORNADO!"

 _"GO, GO, G—"_

"OH SHIT, HE SHOT HER!"

 **"This is Batman. What is your status?"**

 _"STALKER SHOT ONE OF WAYNE'S_

 _SCIENTISTS!"_

"Batman, I thought you fuckingsaid that all the workers were told to leave early!"

 **"That is what they were ordered to do."**

"CLEARLY THE BITCH DIDN'T

GET THE FUCKING MEMO!"

"WE'RE STUCK! _SHIT!_ "

 _"Take COVER!"_

 **"That sonofabi—"**

"Flash, do you copy?"

"Flash?"

"FLASH, DO YOU COPY?"

"FLASH!"

 _"I'm here dammit, what!?"_

 **"What is the** **wounded's status!?"**

 _"She's suffering from major blood loss, bullet wound to_ _the stomach._ _I'm trying to stop the bleeding now. I'm going to bring her_ _to_ _a_ _Gotham_ _hospital."_

 **"Don't."**

 _"Are_ _you_ _insane!?" :_

 **"You can't bring her to a Gotham** **hospital. Stalker** **will just track her down and kill her."**

 _"What_ _the_ _fuck_ _am_ _I_ _supposed to_ _do then?_

 **"What do you think?"**

 _"I'm taking her to a Central_ _City hospital. I'm not dealing with_ _your riddles right now."_

"Plastic Man, for fuck's sake, look behind—SHIT!"

 **"BLACK CANARY!"**

"Fuck!"

 _"Goddammit someone help her!"_

"Reinforcements have arrived." :

 _"ABOUT FUCKING TIME!"_

"And a little too late. He's gone."

 **"He has left something here."**

 _"What is it, Red?"_

 _ **"A GRENADE."**_

" _Shit!_

EVERYONE, _GET DOWN!"_

* * *

 **YOU HUMANS ARE MONSTERS.**

 **YOU HUMANS ARE EVILS.**

 **YOU HUMANS ARE SINS.**

 **MOST PEOPLE WHO HEAR ME SAY THIS ROLL THEIR EYES.**

 **THEY THINK I DON'T UNDERSTAND.**

 **BUT I DO.**

 **AND SOON, THEY COME TO REALIZE THAT I DO. AFTER ALL, I AM YOUR FUTURE. I KNOW WHAT'S BEST FOR YOU.**

 **I AM LIKE A GOD, AM I NOT?**

 **OUR READER IS FEMALE. SHE IS OLD, TIRED, AND SHE HAS SEEN SOME THINGS IN HER LIFETIME.**

 **HER NAME IS LESLIE THOMPKINS.**

 **AND AS SHE READS, HER EYES GROW WIDER.**

 **AND THEN HER HAND TREMBLES SO BAD SHE CAN BARELY TURN THE PAGE IN HER OWN FINGERS.**

 **WHEN SHE IS DONE, SHE CLOSES THE BOOK AND PUSHES IT IN FRONT OF HER.**

 **SHE RUNS HER HANDS THROUGH HER HAIR.**

 **"MADDY?"**

 **"YES, THOMPKINS?"**

 **SHE CLOSES HER EYES.**

 **"YOU WERE RIGHT."**

 **OF COURSE I AM.**

 **I'M ALWAYS RIGHT.**

* * *

"What the heck happened!?" Batgirl exclaimed when they reached the League. Night had fallen, and sirens were ringing throughout the street. Lights were flickering on and off.

Wally was too busy staring at the gaping hole in the tower to say anything.

"Why the heck are you here!?" Hal said, worry plastered on his face. "You're supposed to be in the safe!"

"Hal," Black Canary said, "they're already here. You might as well explain the situation to them." She had a black eye, and her fingers on her right hand were twitching. The skin was peeling off of them, and blood oozed from the wounds. She winced as Martian Manhunter moved them to see if any were broken.

Hal sighed. "Stalker came and wiped the floor with us. While we were fighting, he managed to shoot one of Wayne's workers. Flash had to rush her to a Central City hospital so Stalker wouldn't just track her down and kill her."

"Wait," Rocket interrupted. "I thought Wayne's people were told to not come to work today?"

Hal growled. "That's what they were told, but someone didn't seem to understand the severity of the situation at hand. She left her phone in her office and needed to go get it, apparently."

"In other words," Zatanna said, "she was an idiot."

"I would like to say that she was more than just an idiot, sorry to say," Martian Manhunter said blandly.

"Well, she's safe now," a new voice came. They turned to face the new arrival, who happened to be Flash himself. He had a little bit of blood on his clothes. "She's going to be fine. She's stable." Flash looked at the damage at Wayne Towers. "Uhhh, what did I miss, exactly?"

"I got my behind kicked," Black Canary supplied. "Also, Stalker left us a little present."

"A bomb," Martian Manhunter said dryly. "It was quite explosive."

"... Was that a joke?" Zatanna whispered loudly to Artemis. The blonde shrugged.

"I don't know," she replied in an equally-loud whisper.

"What are you doing here?" a gruff voice came.

The Team turned awkwardly to face Batman. Batgirl stepped forwards.

"We're already outside, Batman, so don't think about ordering us back inside the safe. We want to help."

Batman opened his mouth to argue, but Black Canary cut him off.

"Let them do it, Batman. They've been stuck in the same place for months now without any action. They deserve this one chance to help out. And anyways, we need all the hands we can get to start repairing everything and to try to find evidence against Stalker from this attack. We need them," she said.

"BC's right," Flash admitted. "He wrecked over seven floors. It's a mess everywhere. We need all hands on deck."

Hal sighed. "As much as I hate to admit it, these two are right. We could really use their help."

"Or we may just have to do something stupid," Batgirl added.

Batman stared at his teammates with a bland stare. "I was going to let them help," he deadpanned.

Silence fell over all of them.

"Oh," came Flash's lame response.

Wally watched all of the League members suddenly tense and bring their respective hands to their ears. He could faintly hear voices from his position, but they were too faint to make out what they were saying.

"The infrastructure is starting to collapse," Black Canary said. She stood up and then winced, her body protesting the movements. "We need to get on the site, right now."

"How may we be of help?" Aqualad said.

"Just follow us," Hal said as they started to run towards the towers. "We'll fill you in on the way."

Wally grabbed onto Barry's wrist before he managed to speed away. "Which hospital did you take the worker to?" he asked frantically.

Flash turned, his face contorted into surprise. "The local hospital," he said slowly. "The one that you went to as a kid." When Wally turned the opposite direction of where the rest of the Team and League were going, he grabbed onto his nephew's shoulder in panic. "Where are you going!?"

"I have to go check on her," Wally argued. "I promise I'll be safe."

"Kid, you can't-"

Wally heard angry voices in Flash's comm. He paused, and it was all that Wally needed to continue.

"Look, I'm just going to the hospital," he said. "You can check back up on me when everything's over. But I need to make sure that she's safe."

 _The solution is simple: Kill the witnesses._

Flash opened his mouth again, but his comm delivered another angry voice. Wally winced, but he threw his uncle's hand off of his shoulder. Turning around, he started running.

It had been a while since he had been able to move so freely in his Kid Flash costume. He was soon a mere blur on the streets as the world flew by him. He moved around the many cars on the street, making sure to avoid breaking any of them.

He pushed himself to go faster.

He had to make sure that she would be safe.

She was a witness, after all.

He ran.

He could not run fast enough.

 **I THINK IT MIGHT BE BEST IF I TAKE OVER ONCE MORE. YOU SEE, THERE IS NO WAY TO SAY THIS EASILY. THERE IS NO WAY TO BREAK IT TO YOU DELICATELY.**

 **LITTLE WALLY TRIED TO.**

 **BUT HE IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH.**

 **I AM, HOWEVER.**

 **FEET BURNING, LUNGS GASPING, HE ARRIVES AT THE HOSPITAL.**

 **THE LOCAL HOSPITAL THAT HE USED TO GO TO.**

 **THE HOSPITAL THAT HIS MOTHER DIED IN.**

 **HIS MOTHER WON'T BE THE ONLY ONE TO DIE IN IT.**

 **FOR A LITTLE BIT OF A HISTORY BACKGROUND, THE HOSPITAL WAS BUILT DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. IT WAS BUILT FOR THE MASSES OF WOUNDED SOLDIERS IN THE BATTLE THAT WAS TAKING PLACE ONLY A FEW MILES AWAY.**

 **THE HOSPITAL WAS FILLED TO THE BRIM WITH DEATH AND GORE. THOUSANDS OF MEN WERE CRAMMED INTO A SIX-HUNDRED-ROOM HOSPITAL.**

 **AFTER THE WAR WAS OVER, A TOWN GREW AROUND THE HOSPITAL. IT GREW SO MUCH IT BECAME A CITY, AND THE HOSPITAL HAD A STEADY FLOW OF NEW INJURED AND SICK PEOPLE TO CARE FOR. BUT THEN THE CITY FADED, AND THE POPULATION STARTED TO GROW SMALLER.**

 **AROUND THE HOSPITAL SITS ONE GAS STATION AND A SMALL BAKERY THAT IS ONLY OPEN FOUR DAYS A WEEK.**

 **THE LOCALS WILL TELL YOU THAT THE HOSPITAL IS THE GRANDEST PART OF THEIR ENTIRE TOWN. THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT THE HOSPITAL IS THEIR ONLY LANDMARK, AND IT IS THE BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD. THE PATIENTS ARE ALL NICE, AND THE NURSES ARE ALL NICER.**

 **ALL OF THEM ARE SO, SO SWEET.**

 **BEHIND THE RECEPTION DESK STANDS A YOUNG BOY. HE IS ONLY TWENTY YEARS OLD. HE WORKS SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, TWELVE HOURS A DAY. HE DOES THIS BECAUSE HIS MOTHER SHUTS DOWN OFTEN. HE DOES THIS BECAUSE SHE CANNOT WORK HERSELF. HE DOES IT BECAUSE HE WANTS TO GIVE HIS YOUNGER SISTER AN EDUCATION.**

 **HE IS THE RECEPTIONIST THAT LITTLE WALLY WOULD NEVER SEE AGAIN.**

 **LITTLE WALLY SAYS SO HIMSELF.**

 **"HE NEVER SAID GOODBYE TO THE FRIENDLY RECEPTIONIST, EVEN THOUGH HE KNEW IT WAS THE LAST TIME HE WAS EVER GOING TO SEE HIM."**

 **IF ONLY HE KNEW HOW RIGHT HE WAS.**

 **MAYBE, IF HE KNEW WHAT WAS TO COME, HE'D HAD GIVEN THE POOR BOY A THANKS. MAYBE EVEN A HUG.**

 **BUT LITTLE WALLY DIDN'T GIVE HIM ANYTHING.**

 **IN ROOM THREE HUNDRED AND FOURTY-TWO, WHERE HIS MOTHER DIED, A YOUNG WOMAN STARES AT HER NEWBORN DAUGHTER. THE LITTLE BABY OPENS HER EYES FOR THE FIRST TIME.**

 **HER DARK IRISES HOLD AN INNOCENCE ONLY CHILDREN CAN HAVE.**

 **LITTLE WALLY LOOKS AROUND AS HE STOPS RUNNING. IMMEDIATELY, HIS GAZE LATCHES ONTO THE FRAME OF STALKER WHO STANDS IN FRONT OF THE HOSPITAL. ON THE WALLS OF THE BUILDING, THE CAMERAS LIE FLAT. THEY ARE NOT FUNCTIONAL.**

 **WHICH MEANS NO ONE IS THERE TO SEE WHAT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.**

 **STALKER TURNS TO FACE WALLY. HIS MASK IS ON SO LITTLE WALLY CANNOT SEE HIS EXPRESSION. NOT THAT HE COULD HAVE IF THE MASK WAS OFF. IT IS TOO DARK TO SEE ANYTHING.**

 **AND SO, STALKER CANNOT SEE WHAT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.**

 **ABOVE THE TWO, A PLANE RIPS THROUGH THE AIR.**

 **A YOUNG BOY CREEPS OUT OF THE ALLEY HE SLEPT IN.**

 **"STALKER, I WON'T LET YOU DO THIS," LITTLE WALLY SAYS. HE SOUNDS FIERCE.**

 **HE KNOWS THE TRUTH, AFTER ALL.**

 **"IT IS TOO LATE, KID FLASH," STALKER REPLIES. "YOU CAN'T CHANGE MY MIND. I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS LONGER THAN YOU COULD EVEN UNDERSTAND."**

 **LITTLE WALLY'S EYES NARROW. "EITHER WAY, I CAN'T LET YOU HURT ANOTHER PERSON. I WON'T LET YOU MURDER ANYONE ELSE."**

 **STALKER SHRUGS. "IF YOU ARE SO NAÏVE TO THINK THAT WAY, THEN I SUPPOSE THERE IS NO HELPING YOU."**

 **LITTLE WALLY OPENS HIS MOUTH, BUT THEN HE PAUSES. HIS EYEBROWS FURROW. HE LOOKS UPWARDS.**

 **STALKER SEES THAT HE'S NOT PAYING ATTENTION. HE FOLLOWS LITTLE WALLY'S GAZE.**

 **THE PLANE CIRCLES BACK.**

 **ITS WINGS TILT.**

 **IT DESCENDS.**

 **INSIDE, THE WOMAN CONTROLLING THE PLANE BRINGS UP A RADIO TRANSCEIVER TO HER MOUTH.**

 **SHE HESITATES AS SHE NOTES THE HOSPITAL. HER MOUTH GROWS DRY.**

 **"AGENT WALSH, REPORT!" A VOICE COMES.**

 **THE WOMAN SWALLOWS HEAVILY. SHE BLINKS HER TEARS AWAY. HER VOICE IS SHAKY WHEN SHE SPEAKS.**

 **"TARGET DETECTED. INITIATING ELIMINATION PROCESS."**

 **INSIDE THE HOSPITAL, THE BABY STARTS TO CRY. HER FACE SCRUNCHES UP. HER CHEEKS TURN RED. HER MOTHER HOLDS HER IN HER ARMS, GENTLY SHUSHING HER.**

 **"EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE FINE," SHE TELLS HER.**

 **EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE FINE.**

 **BEHIND THE DESK, THE RECEPTIONIST SMILES AND HANDS A YOUNG BOY A LOLLIPOP FOR HIS BRAVENESS. THE BOY, SNIFFLING FROM THE SHOT HE HAD TO HAVE, TAKES IT EAGERLY.**

 **FOR A SECOND, NOTHING HAPPENS.**

 **AND STALKER IS STATIONARY.**

 **A FEW STREETS AWAY, A BOY WALKS DOWN THE SIDEWALK. THE SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD FADES INTO EMPTINESS AS HE CONTINUES TO MOVE TOWARDS THE PLACE HE SAW HIS HERO HEAD TO.**

 **ABOVE THEM, THE PLANE'S BELLY OPENS. THE PILOT GRABS ONTO THE STICK IN THE PLANE, PULLING IT BACK WITH A TREMBLING HAND.**

 **INSIDE THE WOMB, EIGHT MECHANICAL ARMS HOLD ONTO THE BUNDLE OF JOY.**

 **FOR A SECOND, NOTHING HAPPENS.**

 **AND THEN, IN A SPLIT SECOND, ALL OF THE LATCHES UNLOCK.**

 **THE LARGE BOMB FALLS.**

 **IT IS SLIGHTLY OFF COURSE.**

 **LITTLE WALLY WATCHES IT HEAD TOWARDS THE HOSPITAL.**

 **HE KNOWS, IN A SECOND OF HORROR, WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. HE HAS TO MAKE A DECISION.**

 **WHAT WILL IT BE?**

 **LITTLE WALLY WATCHES IT HEAD TOWARDS THE INNOCENT PEOPLE WHO EXPECTED TO BE HEALED.**

 **HE STANDS THERE, FROZEN.**

 **I KNOW HE WANTS TO RUN IN THERE AND SAVE THEM. TO SAVE THE RECEPTIONIST.**

 **BUT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH TIME.**

 **THERE IS NEVER ENOUGH TIME.**

 **HE DECIDES.**

 **LITTLE WALLY RUSHES FORWARDS AND GRABS AHOLD OF STALKER. HE HOLDS HIM IN HIS ARMS.**

 **A STREET AWAY, A YOUNG BOY STARTS RUNNING TOWARDS THE HOSPITAL.**

 **LITTLE WALLY STARTS RUNNING HIMSELF. HE IS RUNNING AWAY FROM THE BOMB, AWAY FROM THE PEOPLE THAT HE HAS FAILED.**

 **AWAY FROM THE HOSPITAL.**

 **INSIDE, THE BABY STOPS CRYING.**

 **SHE HICCUPS.**

 **HER MOTHER SMILES.**

 **IN THE HOSPITAL, THE YOUNG MAN BEHIND THE DESK WAVES TO THE BOY WHO GOT THE LAST LOLLIPOP.**

 **HE FAINTLY WONDERS IF HIS SISTER HAS DONE HER HOMEWORK.**

 **I WARNED YOU.**

 **YOU HUMANS ARE MONSTERS.**

 **YOU HUMANS ARE EVILS.**

 **YOU HUMANS ARE SINS.**

 **DON'T YOU BELIEVE ME NOW?**

 **ALL OF THEM ARE GOING TO NEED MORE THAN A PRAYER FROM LITTLE WALLY TO SAVE THEM NOW.**

 **AS THE BOMB FALLS, IT CARRIES A HIGH-PITCHED WHISTLE WITH ITS COURSE.**

 **THE SMALL, ERODING STREETLAMPS REVEAL ITS SLEEK SURFACE.**

 **THE BOY INSIDE THE HOSPITAL GRABS ONTO HIS MOTHER'S HAND, THE RED LOLLIPOP IN HIS OTHER.**

 **LITTLE WALLY GLANCES BACK.**

 **IT'S ONLY A SECOND.**

 **A SECOND THAT LASTS AN ETERNITY.**

 **HE WATCHES THE BOMB SPIRAL DOWNWARDS,**

 **ONLY INCHES AWAY FROM THE HOSPITAL.**

 **SILENCE.**

 **AND THEN THE TIP OF THE BOMB GRAZES THE EAST WALL.**

 **CONTACT.**

 **WHEN THE BOMB HITS, THE SHOCKWAVES LIFT LITTLE WALLY AND STALKER INTO THE AIR.**

 **IT IS ALMOST AS IF THEY ARE FLYING.**

 **THEIR WINGS ARE SPREAD WIDE OPEN, AND THEY ARE FLUNG FORWARDS FROM THE BLAST.**

 **WHEN THE BOMB HITS, THE HOSPITAL SPREADS OUTWARDS FROM THE IMPACT.**

 **THE BOMB IS DEVASTATING.**

 **BUT HAVE FAITH,**

 **FOR WHEN THE BOMB HITS,**

 **IT INSTANTLY KILLS THE NEWBORN NAMES HOPE.**

 **IS THAT NOT MERCY?**

 **HOPE DOES NOT FEEL PAIN. SHE DOES NOT KNOW AGONY. SHE DOES NOT HAVE TO WONDER WHERE HER FATHER WENT WHEN SHE LEFT HER MOTHER BEHIND. SHE DOES NOT HAVE TO GROW UP IN A FAILING HUMANITY.**

 **IS THAT NOT MERCY?**

 **THE DARK CLOUDS COVER THE MOON.**

 **THE PLANE DISAPPEARS FROM VIEW.**

 **AND THEN EVERYTHING CRASHES DOWN.**

 **WALLY AND STALKER ARE NO LONGER FLYING, AND THEY HIT THE GROUND. LITTLE WALLY'S SKIN SCRAPES OFF IN CHUNKS. BOTH OF THEIR SUITS SUFFER FROM SCUFF MARKS.**

 **THE HOSPITAL CAVES IN.**

 **THE BOY BEHIND THE DESK IS CRUSHED BENEATH WRECKAGE. HOWEVER, IT IS NOT THAT KILLS HIM. RATHER, AFTER TWO MINUTES, HE DIES FROM CHOKING ON THE DUST THAT FILLS THE AIR.**

 **A DARK CLOUD OF SOOT ROLLS FORWARD OVER THE FALLEN FORMS OF STALKER AND LITTLE WALLY WHO WERE SEPARATED FROM THE BLAST. STALKER HAS AN AIR-TIGHT MASK TO PROTECT HIMSELF, AND HE IS ABLE TO MANEUVER HIMSELF AWAY FROM THE DEBRIS AND SMOKE.**

 **LITTLE WALLY IS NOT SO LUCKY.**

 **HIS LEG IS TRAPPED BENEATH A SLAB OF CONCRETE.**

 **HE HOLDS HIS ARMS OVER HIS HEAD, HIS EYES CLOSED AND HIS TEARS ENDLESS AS HE THINKS ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE THAT JUST DIED. THE DUST CHOKES HIM. THE DARKNESS HOLDS HIM.**

 **LESS THAN A STREET AWAY, A YOUNG BOY CRAWLS FORWARD. HE IS BRAVE, FOR HE HAS MOVED FORWARDS TO SEE HIS HERO DESPITE THE HESITATION STEMMING FROM THE EXPLOSION.**

 **FIRE IS EVERYWHERE.**

 **IT IS HOT.**

 **LITTLE WALLY'S EARS ARE RINGING. HE CAN BARELY HEAR ANYTHING. EVERYTHING IS MUFFLED.**

 **WHEN THE DUST CLEARS, STALKER IS STANDING OVER LITTLE WALLY. HIS MASK IS OFF, AND HE STARES OUT OVER THE WRECKAGE.**

 **"I'M GOING TO KILL THOSE SON OF A BITCHES," HE SAYS, HIS MUTED VOICE BARELY REACHING LITTLE WALLY'S DAMAGED EARS. FURY LACES HIS COLD EYES.**

 **LITTLE WALLY DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING.**

 **I THINK, SOMEWHERE DEEP INSIDE OF HIM, HE AGREES.**

 **IN THE HOSPITAL, HOPE'S MOTHER HOLDS ONTO HER BROKEN CHILD, SCREAMING IN SILENT AGONY.**

 **THE CEILING CAVES IN, CRUSHING HER.**

 **SHE DIES.**

 **EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE FINE.**

 **I PROMISE YOU.**

 **[ERROR]**

 **STALKER TURNS TO LITTLE WALLY. HIS VOICE IS STEELY. HIS EYES ARE SHARP.**

 **"THERE'S SOMEONE I HAVE TO KILL FIRST, THOUGH."**

 **LITTLE WALLY ONLY HEARS TWO OF THE WORDS THAT HE SPOKE, BUT IT IS ENOUGH TO GET THE POINT.**

 **STALKER RAISES THE GUN THAT WAS SHAKING IN HIS HAND. HE BRINGS IT TO LITTLE WALLY'S FOREHEAD.**

 **EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE FINE.**

 **I PROMISE YOU.**

 **[ERROR]**

Wally looked at the barrel of the gun with dark eyes. He probably looked haunted, covered head to toe in dust. He felt the skin of his back start to slowly burn away from the blast's heat warming up his suit. His hands had deep cuts all over them, the wounds irritated with all the dust in them.

All he could see was the smiling face of the receptionist's face behind the desk.

His name was Caden Smokes.

Wally blinked soullessly as the barrel of the gun was pointed right between his eyes. He saw Stalker's mouth moving, but no sound seemed to come out of it.

Wally placed his elbows beneath him to give him leverage to twist around. He opened his mouth, feeling a cry of pain leave his lips, but they never reached his ears. He looked at his leg.

It was twisted at an angle.

Eyes wide, he silently and lethargically looked back to Stalker.

He could feel the smoke making his eyes burn. He tried to blink away the tears that were threatening to come loose. Above him, the stars twinkled. The darkness was like blanket on his shoulders. He could faintly feel a warm hand rest on his shoulder.

 _You'd be a good parent._

Licking his lips, Wally ignored the taste of dust as he mouthed those words slowly.

A good parent?

Wally promised that he'd be safe.

Safe.

He'd be safe.

He wished Barry was there to hold him.

Stalker was frowning, but his finger rested on the trigger. His eyes were flat and cold. The blue was striking.

Wally stared at the barrel silently. He opened his mouth.

 _The truth._

Wally closed it. He let his eyelids drop.

He just wanted to get it over with.

He hoped Batgirl wouldn't be too mad at him for breaking another promise he couldn't keep.

The stars twinkled. The hand that wasn't there gripped his shoulder tightly. The blanket of darkness wrapped around him like a hug. Small flakes of snow dropped from the sky, melting when coming into contact with the hot atmosphere.

And then the distraction came.

Debris crashed to the ground loud enough to be heard by Wally. His head shot up. Stalker lowered the gun, if only by the slightest centimeter. He paused before slinking out of view, making sure he wasn't visible to any newcomers. Small hands reached upwards into view, dragging up the small form of the boy who came from a couple of streets away.

Ryan's eyes brightened. A smile lit up his face despite the wreckage around him. He was standing at the top of a piece of rooftop that jutted out from the ground. Dust covered him from head to toe, caking his hair and hands. He waved one small palm into the air, trying his best to catch Kid Flash's gaze.

But Wally's was already on him, a shock of terror thrumming beneath his skin. He whispered something, though he couldn't hear it.

"No."

He was a tiny thing, really. Malnourished and abandoned, he was but a little child. He was as thin as a skeleton. Bags hung under his large innocent eyes. Despite his size and age, he had suffered from many things. He had lost his sister in a hit-and-run. He had starved on the streets for most of his life. The only thing he knew was that he did something wrong that caused people to ignore him as he begged on the streets for water and a single piece of bread.

But one didn't ignore him.

Kid Flash.

It was surprising how no one could figure out the speedster's identity despite countless hours of theories, and yet a mere child immediately put two and two together. Perhaps it was Wally's frame. Perhaps it was Wally's eyes. Perhaps it was a mixture of things, but all Wally knew was that Ryan was aware of his identity.

The small boy smiled even brighter. He pulled the end of his sweater out, bringing attention to the crimson hoodie that Kid Flash had given him. On the center sat the Flash's symbol.

The tiny thing looked down from his perch and started to make his way downwards. His foot slipped once when Wally first noticed Stalker's rapt attention. He remained in the shadows.

He was a little too attentive.

 _The solution is simple: Kill the witnesses._

Wally's face drained of color beneath his mask. He felt his breaths come out in short gasps as the realization dawned on him. "No!" he yelled. He felt his jaw pop from the effort, and his ears protested in pain. He squirmed and struggled beneath the concrete. He called out to Ryan, yelling for him to stop. Yelling for him to get the hell out of there.

But the boy was too concerned about meeting the hero who had given him an old, grubby sweater to care. He nearly slipped again, but he finally managed to get to the ground. He smiled, scrambling closer. His eyes were bright.

And as Ryan ran towards him, Wally attempted to crawl from underneath the slab on top of his leg. Attempted to get closer to the young boy.

He was a tiny thing, really. Gentle brown eyes. Olive skin. Small hands and feet, knobby knees, and a button nose. Bow-shaped lips. He looked like a gentle soul, like he could do no harm. He was very, very small.

And he was running the fastest he could towards Wally. He was practically glowing with happiness.

Wally struggled to get the slab off of him. At the same time, he started vibrating his legs. Like he was possessed, he grabbed onto some of the detritus in front of him, pulling himself forward. The sharp edges of the debris cut into his hands. He was scrabbling for any kind of way to get free.

Ryan ran faster. His foot caught another piece of debris, and he stumbled. In the dust and smoke and fire, he didn't notice Stalker. He did not notice the gun in his hand.

He did not notice the target on his chest.

But why would he worry about that? This is Kid Flash. His hero would always protect him.

Wouldn't he?

Kid Flash screamed hoarsely, waving his arms. "Get back!" he yelled. "GO!"

Ryan faltered. He stopped, his face covered in dust and ash.

His eyebrows were furrowed, a crease appearing in the middle of his forehead at his hero's harsh words.

Ryan stepped backwards twice. He frowned. His brown eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

He stood still for too long.

The clicking sound of a gun resonated throughout the air.

Wally felt the concrete on his leg shift.

"NO!" he screamed at Stalker. " _NO!_ "

Ryan blinked. His eyelashes were covered in dust. Stalker raised the gun.

"YOU FUCKING MONS-"

Wally heard it first. It was the sound of bullets ripping through air. He felt the concrete shift even more, and then he was gone. He ran.

He could not run fast enough.

There was not enough time.

There was never enough time.

Three shots echoed in the silence, all of them hitting their target. Blood spattered onto the ground.

He was a little thing, really. Tiny. He had the most beautiful brown eyes you could ever see.

" _RYAN!_ "

Crimson stained the already-red hoodie. Ryan's eyes grew wide. His eyelashes were covered in dust and tears. He brought his hands up to his throat. He blinked in surprise when he took them away to see his hands were covered in blood. His eyes grew unfocused.

And then he started falling, falling, falling.

Wally caught him in his arms.

The boy blinked.

Wally felt his shoulders shake. He cupped the small boy's cheeks in his damaged hands. "Ryan, look at me." He felt short bursts of air enter and leave his lungs. He tried fruitlessly to blink his tears back. "Everything is going to be fine," he lied. "Don't close your eyes."

Ryan looked back at him. He breathed in sharply. He coughed.

Blood started to enter his lungs. A drop of it leaked out of the corner of his mouth.

In the background, Stalker stared at the two. He looked on with wide eyes. He seemed lost, almost as if someone sucked the soul out of him. The gun in his hand trembled. His finger slipped on the trigger.

But why would he worry about that? This is Kid Flash. His hero would always protect him.

Wouldn't he?

Wally gathered him in his arms. His hands were red. His suit was red.

The Flash symbol on Ryan's hoodie started to turn red, too.

There was so much blood.

Wally stood up. His leg ached, sending shocks of pain every time he put his weight onto it. It was twisted in all the wrong angles, but he forced it to work. He forced himself to ignore the pain. He forced it to move.

He ran.

He could not run fast enough.

There was not enough time.

There was never enough time.

Stalker watched them leave, his eyes empty of emotion.

 **WHEN THE AMBULANCES ARRIVE,**

 **THE MEDICS CLIMB OUT. THEY PAUSE.**

 **ONE MUTTERS, "GOD SAVE US ALL."**

 **ANOTHER: "HOLY SHIT."**

 **THEY HESITATE A SECOND MORE, AND THEN THEY RUSH FORWARDS TO SAVE THOSE THEY CAN.**

 **THERE AREN'T MANY.**

Snowflakes fell around them. They melted when they made contact with the fire. They kissed Ryan's bloody lips.

They turned red.

The sun started to rise above the horizon. It made the stars disappear. It casted light onto Ryan's small face. It casted light onto the wreckage. It casted light onto the tears that were making their way down Wally's face.

Ryan coughed. Blood stained Wally's suit. It stained his injured hands.

It only took seconds from when the bullet first pierced Ryan's throat. Wally felt his ears pop, and something hot seeped out of his ears. He could hear the hurried thumps of his feet. His hearing was coming back to him, and suddenly.

In his arms, Ryan blinked. He rasped. Curled up into his chest were his arms and small hands. Forcing a breath into his lungs, he shakily raised one small palm to the symbol embedded into Kid Flash's uniform. His fingers grazed the lightning bolt symbol, leaving his blood behind.

It only took seconds.

Ryan coughed loudly.

He exhaled shakily.

He choked out two words.

"It's okay."

This is Kid Flash. His hero would always protect him.

Wouldn't he?

 _Don't close your eyes._

"Ryan?" Wally asked hysterically. He suddenly stopped. His heels dug into the ground. Both of them, covered in ash and dust and tears and blood, panted for breath.

 _Don't close your eyes._

"Ryan..."

So he didn't.

"No... Please, god, no!"

His eyes were wide open.

 _"RYAN!"_

His small hand rested on Kid Flash's chest, grasping onto the last symbol of hope he had left.

His beautiful brown eyes were glazed over as they stared into empty space.

 _It's okay._

He was a child.

A little thing, really.

* * *

 **How'd I do? Bad or worse?**


	21. Chapter 21

**Ashuri: Wow, you were super quick for reading the last chapter! I'm sorry I made you so sad, though I guess that's part of my job. XD Thank you so gosh dang much for your compliments. It really made me happy, and I'm super happy that you think that I should be a published writer. XD I hope that I manage to make you feel better about Dick in this chapter, though there isn't much to see. You're just as awesome, by the way!**

 **Guest: I'm sorry for making you cry! And thank you so much.**

 **I apologize for the amount of skipping around in this...**

* * *

"What the hell do you mean that she missed?"

"Sir, agent Walsh was close enough to the target-"

"And yet he's still alive and now we've got a hospital blown to smithereens. What happened to being subtle?"

"Sir, you asked for a bomb to be dropped on our target. Subtle simply wasn't possible."

"Perhaps not possible, but she knew perfectly well what she was doing when she pulled that lever. She should have known what would happen if we blew up a hospital of all damn things."

"Sir, your orders directly stated that she was to bomb the target as soon as-"

"My orders directly stated that she was supposed to kill her target. What happened to that, _sir_?"

"..."

"Where is she at the moment?"

"At home with her kids and husband... sir."

"Call her in. When she arrives, take her somewhere quiet and X her out."

"But sir! She's one of our best-"

"I don't give a shit."

"But her children! Think about them! Her daughter's only three-"

"I said I don't give a shit."

"Sir, please-"

"I didn't ask for your opinion. You _will_ take her off to the side, stand her against the wall, take a gun to her temple and blow her brains out. That's what X-out means, and if you can't handle that I'll ask someone to X _you_ out. Do I make myself clear?"

"..."

 _"Do I make myself clear?"_

"... Sir, yes sir."

* * *

Barry smiled in relief as they all stopped to catch their breath.

"The infrastructure is stable now?" he asked breathlessly, his hands on his knees. He had to run back and forth between the many parties, helping fix all of the eroded framings from the bomb that Robin had left behind.

Canary turned to the teenage girl sitting in the room with them. "What do you say, Batgirl?"

The redhead's lips perked up into a faint smile. "Looks good to me," she said as she typed away on her computer. "Wayne will definitely have to do some more permanent fixes, but the structure will hold for now."

Canary wiped the sweat off of her forehead with the back of her hand. "Good," she said, panting. "Good."

Barry felt his motherly instincts kick in as he watched Canary plop down next to Batgirl heavily. She was breathing hard, laying on her back.

"You alright?" he asked. She was still sweating, so she wasn't too dehydrated, but he couldn't always be sure.

She nodded as she inhaled greedily. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Do you want a glass of water?" Barry said.

She waved her hand airily. "Whatever." She closed her eyes. "If you wanna."

That was her version of 'Get Me Water Right Now', though he couldn't blame her for being subtle about it. She wasn't too fond of making people do things for her, and it had been especially hard on her recently due to the changes in her life.

Those changes were subtle, but Barry noticed them. He was sure that Oliver knew, and most likely Batman too-he was the World's Greatest Detective, after all—but other than that, he was surprised with how few people seemed to pick up on the hints.

But then again, no one else had his motherly instincts, so he couldn't exactly blame the League.

And yes, he was proud of them. No shame here, my friends.

Barry nodded. "I'll be back in a flash." In response, Canary mumbled something under her breath, though Barry didn't catch it.

One run to the grocery store later (the plumbing in the Towers was jacked up) and Flash was hauling some jugs of water for the rest of the League. (Don't ask how his trip at the cash register went. It involved female workers fainting and him freaking out and frantically apologizing.) He had the cliché, plastic red cups under his arm as he poured some water into one of them.

The fire trucks and ambulances had left, though a few police officers remained and were questioning a high-alert bat. Caution tape was spread around the front of the building. Barry ignored it and just ran under it and back into the building.

Flash was totally cautious.

"I'm back!" he called as he entered the room that Canary was lying in.

Originally it had just been her, Batgirl, and himself in the room, so he was quite surprised when a lot more heads turned his way.

"Thanks, Flash," Black Canary said. She was breaking off a piece of a bar to snack on. Green Arrow was standing behind her, his fingers grazing her shoulder as if he was worried about her health.

Batgirl sighed as she rubbed the bags under her eyes from beneath her mask.

"No luck?" Hal asked her. He had—slowly, mind you—started to grow fond of the younger bat. He was even slower with the rest of the Team, but he was getting there.

Batgirl shook her head. "None. He disabled all the cameras, just like how he did when he attacked Queen's labs. Once again, he leaves without any evidence we can pin against him. No fingerprints, no other witnesses, nada."

Atom frowned and crossed his arms, though his words were soft. "Don't blame yourself Batgirl. He was prepared. We weren't. It's as simple as that."

Barry was half-listening to the conversation silently as he massaged Black Canary's back gently. He had given the hero his last bar, reminding her that she should probably be wary how high-calorie it was. He also apologized that he didn't have anything else for her to snack on.

Aqualad seemed disappointed. "I'm guessing the people are going to think that another enemy did this?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," Artemis said. "Our word is no longer as trustworthy to them anymore. Well, at least, not to some. Granted, while it might be beneficial to bring attention to who is really causing this, it might seem that we're pinning the blame on the 'real' hero."

"The League has years worth of loyalty, though," Zatanna said. "Are we just supposed to take all of our losses quietly? Without a fight?"

"You bring up a great problem with humanity, Zatanna," Green Arrow said. "People will always celebrate how good things are until it gets ugly. And when it does, they forget everything good you've done and will only forever remember the bad. Every time something like this happens, it's a big blow to our reputation. It takes a while to build the trust back up."

"And don't worry about 'taking our losses quietly'," Atom reassured. "We'll settle this. But sometimes we have to let our opponents bask in a victory or two. Let him. It'll just get to his head, which is all the better for us."

"I have a question," Barry said.

Green Arrow looked down at him, raising an eyebrow. "What?" he asked tiredly.

"How long are we going to stretch this out for? This threat has gone on for long enough, in my opinion," Flash said. He pushed his thumbs gently into the ridge of Black Canary's spine, rubbing circles in the area.

"Flash is right," Canary said. "We need to get on top of this. Stat."

"Do not worry," Martian Manhunter said. He had been standing quietly off to the side. "I have a feeling after this attack, we will launch our own counter. And I've seen the expression on Batman's face. He knows something that will change all of this and give us an opening. Not only that, but I'd describe him as 'pissed off' as you humans say."

Hal snickered. "If Manhunter says that Batman's pissed, you know you're in trouble."

Flash poured himself a cup of water, quickly downing it before pouring himself another.

Batgirl suddenly made a noise. She quickly slammed her computer shut. "Turn on the news," she said, her face pale as she scrambled upwards.

Green Arrow made a confused sound. "What do you mean—"

"Just turn it on!" she snapped.

Flash immediately made it to her side, placing a hand on the young bat's shoulder. In his other hand, he held the red plastic cup. "Whoah, calm down sweets," he said. "What's the matter?"

She reeled around. Her eyes wide and lips pursed, she stared him down. "Turn on the news," she said quietly and fiercely.

Flash looked her in his eyes before he glanced over her head. He nodded to Hal, who started to scour for the remote in the room.

The silence was deafening.

Hal finally found it in one of the drawers of the desk sitting by the edge of the room. He fumbled with it, turning the TV on (which had been miraculously unscathed in the attack).

"-gun control my ass-"

"-oh my god, it's Tyler-"

"-lives in a pineapple under the sea-"

"-the latest news, all day, every day... At around six this morning a bomb was dropped on a local Central hospital," the news reporter stated.

Flash froze.

"The ambulances are still pulling bodies from the wreckage. It's too early to know how many were in the hospital at the time of the attack, but no one is taking risks. We have been told that they will not stop searching until every rock is uncovered. However, we have already received word that they have retrieved eighteen bodies."

A flash of hot emotion flooded his senses.

The news reporter paused to take a shaky breath. "Twelve of those were either already dead or dead by the time they were given medical help. At the moment, the rest of those survivors are in the ER. We are working on identifying those that have died in this unfortunate accident and alerting the—" The man blinked and his Adam's apple bobbed. "On alerting the families. We all hope the best for their futures."

"Oh my god."

"When the hell—"

"Flash?"

He felt his fingers grow numb. The cup slipped from his fingers and hit the ground.

 _Breathe_ , he told himself. Breathe.

Breathe.

He felt something running down his cheeks.

Tears?

No.

 _No._

 _"If Wally died, you might as well dig two graves. One for him, and one for me. Just throw me in there and bury me alive if that's what it takes, I would take it in stride."_

"Flash, you have to calm down!"

"Holy shit, he's having a panic attack—"

"Someone get a chair!"

Hands were on his shoulders. "Flash, breathe."

See, stress piling one after the other isn't what breaks you. You know it piles, and you have a feeling it piles, but it isn't until the last straw is placed on that camel's back that you realize how close you were to breaking.

"Wally," he mumbled. "Wally, he was there, he was there—"

"Where?"

"The hospital."

He felt someone push him into a chair.

"I have to—" he said, and he felt his throat constrict. "I have to—"

There's your straw that broke the camel's back, sweeties.

"Oh my fucking god."

"Get Batman! Now!"

"Flash, I need you to breathe. Take in a deep breath, alright? We're going to find Wally. We need you to be calm."

Breathe.

Breathe.

 _Breathe._

"Allen." Another hand on his shoulder. "Allen, I'm going to get Wallace. He's going to be okay.

"I promise you."

Another heat-of-the-moment promise. I wonder if it can actually be kept this time.

But he didn't need to go far to find Wally.

A loud bang resonated through the building, and suddenly, Wally was standing near the entrance to the room, heels dragging against the floor as he slowed himself down from his run. He was covered in dust, tears, and blood. His leg was twisted at all the wrong angles, his suit torn at the edges, his hands shaking.

In his arms, he held a small boy.

Wally was there, certainly, but it didn't change the fact that the promise was still broken. Wally wasn't going to be okay.

"H-help," he croaked.

Flash sat dazedly, his hands shaking, his eyes burning. He tried to stand up, but someone held him down and kept him in his chair.

Wally collapsed into someone's arms that weren't the Flash's.

Above him, a voice spoke a few words worth a thousand bullet wounds as someone tried to gently take Ryan away from Wally.

 _He's dead, he's dead, he's dead, Wally, he's dead._

"No," Wally said as he struggled. "No, you have to help him," he said, his voice cracking as another wave of tears cascaded down his face. "You have to help him!"

Someone took Ryan away from him. Wally fought against the hands that were trying to take him away. He fought against the hands that were taking him to the Watchtower for medical help.

"No! You have to help him! _You have to help him_!"

If only they could. Unfortunately, it was too little too late.

Not everyone can get a happy ending.

* * *

 **LITTLE WALLY HAD ONE JOB. THAT JOB WAS TO TELL US HIS STORY SO WE COULD TELL IT TO YOU.**

 **I QUICKLY FOUND THAT HE WAS OFTEN VERY TRUTHFUL AND KEPT TO THE FACTS OF WHAT HAD REALLY OCCURRED, SO I DIDN'T TEND TO KEEP CHECKING MY SOURCES.**

 **I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.**

 **YOU SEE, LITTLE WALLY WILL ADMIT TO HIS LOSSES. HE WILL ADMIT TO HIS OUTBURSTS. HE WILL ADMIT TO HIS IMMATURITY. HE WILL EVEN ADMIT HIS OWN FLAWS.**

 **HOWEVER, THERE IS ONE THING THAT HE HAS NEVER GONE INTO GREAT DEPTH WITH US.**

 **I THINK YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO KNOW THAT THIS 'ONE THING' IS SADNESS.**

 **AFTER ALL, YOU'VE HEARD PLENTY OF THAT FROM US, HAVEN'T YOU?**

 **I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE SADNESS THAT ONE GETS WHEN AN OLD FRIEND TURNS OUT TO BE A NOT-SO-GOOD PERSON. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE SADNESS THAT ONE GETS WHEN THEY REALIZE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF MANY DEATHS.**

 **WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS THE EMOTION THAT ONE GETS WHEN THEY GO TO SLEEP AT NIGHT AND ALL THEY CAN THINK ABOUT IS HOW BADLY THEY JUST NEVER WANT TO WAKE UP IN THE MORNING. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE EMOTION THAT MAKES YOU LOOK AT YOUR CEILING FOR HOURS ON END, WONDERING WHAT YOU COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY.**

 **I'M TALKING ABOUT THE EMOTION THAT LITTLE WALLY HAS AVOIDED TELLING US FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.**

 **HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY WE'VE ALWAYS MANAGED TO GIVE YOU A REASON FOR HIM TO BE SAD, AND HOW WE'VE ALWAYS MANAGED TO INCLUDE HIS PRIMARY REACTION, BUT NEVER HAVE WE _TRULY_ GONE INTO HIS MIND AND THOUGHTS WHEN**

 **HE'S**

 **ALL**

 **ALONE?**

 **WHEN THERE'S NO ONE AROUND**

 **TO ASK HIM**

 **IF HE'S ALRIGHT?**

 **WE'VE HAD THE OCCASIONAL AFTER-EVENT REACTIONS, MIND YOU.**

 **BUT NOTHING COMPARES TO THESE MOMENTS.**

 **I'M AFRAID THAT LITTLE WALLY CAN'T HIDE THIS SECRET FOR MUCH LONGER.**

* * *

Black Canary closed the door behind her. She quietly moved forwards in fear of waking Wally up, though Martian Manhunter was adamant that he put the boy to sleep.

Wally had never looked so small. Granted, the boy was almost an adult, though Black Canary never thought she'd see the day where he was all grown up and mature. And yet here he was, his lean form so small under the large white covers that she almost mistook him for a child again. Pearl white bandages were wrapped around the tips of his fingers to his wrists after the many cuts had been stitched together; a thick cast had been placed around his leg; cream had been rubbed over the many burns on his back, shoulders, and arms; an oxygen mask was placed on his face, assisting his breathing after the amount of smoke he inhaled; his eyes required the attention of a lot of eyedrops-one, to moisturize the dryness and irritation, and two, to help heal parts of the eye that had been damaged by the blast; the hundred of blisters he had on his body had already started to heal, though several on his face stood out like a swan with a pack of flamingoes. Not only that, but the blast had also given him a concussion and had severely damaged his eardrums.

Honestly, it was a surprise he was even damn alive given all his injuries, but you don't just come out of an explosion unscathed.

Barry was sitting in the seat next to his nephew, holding the teen's hand in his own. He said the words that the Canary had been thinking for a very long time.

"He should be dead."

Black Canary took a minute to respond to him. She quadruple-checked the machines that Wally was hooked up to, choosing her words carefully.

"Yes," was all she managed to say. She adjusted the tube that allowed Wally to get his necessary fluids. Avoiding Barry's gaze, she found something else to comment on. "He's really thin."

Barry looked over at his nephew. His eyes softened. "He hasn't been eating very well since his mother passed," he admitted. "I've been trying, but..." He sighed and ran another hand over his face. "I've probably failed at being a pseudo-parent."

Canary glanced at him before taking a seat by Wally herself, sitting across from Barry. "Does he know that you care for him?" she asked quietly.

Barry hesitated. "I do."

"But does _he_ know that?" she asked.

Barry sighed. "I really hope so, Dinah."

She gently ran her forefinger across the knuckles of the hand that Flash wasn't holding onto, taking note of how her finger dipped when she ran the pad of her finger in between the tendons. "Flash?"

"Yeah?" he said.

"When Martian Manhunter put Wally to sleep, he had to put the memories that he had just acquired to sleep as well, which meant he got to see them," Canary said. She released a heavy sigh, taking a second to start her story. "When Wally arrived, he and Stalker had a debate before the bomb was dropped."

"You say that like Robin didn't set it off," Barry commented quietly.

"He didn't," Dinah confirmed. "It was dropped by plane. We're not sure by who. However, we're guessing a third party. Most likely a villain, seeing as Robin is even more so of an enemy to them than to the League." When Barry didn't say anything else, she continued. "Robin was pissed. Wally's leg was stuck under some debris, which put him at a disadvantage. Then that boy came along." She swallowed heavily. "Robin shot him instead, in which Wally vibrated to get free of the debris to catch him. Which eventually lead to where we are now."

Barry's eyes narrowed. "He ran all the way from the hospital in this state?"

Dinah closed her eyes. "Barry?"

"Yeah?" he replied.

"Wally _vibrated_." When she got no reaction, she continued pressing the topic. "Through concrete. Without a nosebleed."

Barry was looking at Wally's bruised face. "I know," he said quietly. "I know."

The two of them fell silent.

"Barry," Dinah said, "the only reason Wally lived was that his body suddenly adjusted to deal with all of his injuries. In some ironic way, the explosion actually ended up saving him by making his powers more strong. Granted, the process of full recovery will still be longer than at your healing speed, but his injuries are mending faster than they've ever had before. Most of the life-threatening ones will be sufficiently healed within a few _days_ at most."

Barry leaned back in his seat, still holding onto Wally's hand. He interlaced their fingers, making sure not to move the bandages or stitches beneath.

"Determination was always the best ignitor for a bonfire," was his only reply.

Between them, Wally remained fast asleep.

* * *

"Depression," Dinah said in a quiet voice to Batman. "I can already see the signs. It's all going to crash down in a few days. Maybe within the next twenty-four hours if we're unlucky enough."

"He's only been awake for a few hours," Batman challenged in a low voice. "He's also heavily sedated. How can you be so sure?"

Canary crossed her arms. "You cannot expect a child to go through everything that has happened in the past few months and just get over it. And if you're so determined, then just stay in that room for more than two minutes and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about." When he still seemed unconvinced, she continued. "He hasn't been eating nearly as much as he needs to, Batman," she said exasperatedly. "This isn't something recent. He's probably had a bunch of ups and downs even before this event started."

The man let out a sigh from his nose. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I really wasn't hoping that was the case," he muttered.

"I don't think any of us wanted to believe it." Canary wouldn't look Batman in the eye. "I think that's why we couldn't see it. The mind has a habit of denying things that don't seem plausible."

When silence fell over them, Batman changed the topic. "I suppose you're going to try to get him into a therapy session."

Dinah raised an eyebrow. "Try? I think I can do more than try."

Batman seemed to disagree, but he let the other League member leave without argument. He turned back towards the work he was trying to accomplish only to be interrupted by the automatic doors opening again to reveal Hal Jordan.

"J'onn told me about what happened at the hospital. Is it true that a third party was involved?" he asked as he walked towards the bat.

"If you already know the answer, don't ask." Batman didn't move his gaze from the computer screen in front of him as he replied.

"I'm just going to assume that you're confirming what I just said," Hal replied, unfazed at the coldness that came from Batman. "What have you got so far?"

Batman made an unimpressed noise under his breath. "I would have something to show you if you weren't so concerned with bothering me."

Hal rolled his eyes. "And? You obviously figured out something."

"Three things," Batman corrected gruffly.

"Three things, then," Hal said.

"First of all, I managed to link the grenade that Stalker dropped at Wayne Towers to its producers." Batman picked up the only piece of the grenade that survived its own blast, showing it to the other male.

"Who made it, then?" Hal asked as he took the piece from the other League member. He tilted it at different angles, looking at it with a sharp eye.

"MetropATLAS Labs," Batman answered blandly.

Hal frowned. "Those labs? I thought that those guys made the concoction that got rid of commanding powers. I thought we agreed that Robin was in control of the 'bird epidemic' months ago and that the same liquid they created was used to stop him. Why on earth would they team up with Robin?"

"The mixture was stolen months ago, not given." Batman watched it dawn on the green lantern.

"So MetropATLAS is behind all of this," Hal said.

"They got some help, but yes, they are." Batman ignored the scrutinizing gaze that Hal gave him.

"What do you mean, they got some help?" Hal asked.

Batman started to type something up on the computer in front of him as he spoke. "MetropATLAS is the sister company of an old friend of ours."

Hal raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Over Venture," Batman said.

Hal had a double-take. "What do you mean, 'MetropATLAS is sister companies with Over Venture'!? If Robin's allies with MetropATLAS—"

"That means that he's most likely allies with Over Venture Labs as well," Batman interjected. "I'm well aware of that fact."

Hal crossed his arms. "That makes no sense whatsoever. Over Venture was the reason he died in the first place."

"Yes and no," Batman corrected. "While it is true that Over Venture was the reason for his death, it was a specific branch of the company. That branch, which experimented with _Project Source_ , was supposed to be working on numerous other things—which they had done to cover up their tracks—but their main goal was that one project. The rest of Over Venture claimed innocence when questioned about it. They either had no idea of its existence, or they were mostly left in the dark; either way, they weren't fully aware of the dangers."

Hal pursed his lips. "I'm still doubtful," he said.

"Then perhaps I should show you the third discovery," Batman said. He already had the page pulled up on the computer in front of him—it was easy to maximize the pictures of the three men and woman. "You remember the time the Team tried to infiltrate the Over Venture Labs without our knowledge, correct?"

Hal snorted. "I remember them failing, yes, if that's what you mean."

"The three main arrests that were made were against these three criminals," Batman continued, ignoring Hal's comment. He brought up the picture of Blaster and his two minions.

"Yeah, and?"

Batman then brought up a picture of Raylee Strong and Glen Hodges each.

Hal's eyes widened as he looked between the pictures.

"Oh."

Blaster's female companion had auburn hair and pale skin.

Raylee Strong was wearing heavy makeup, her hair was dyed black, and her eyes were grey from the contacts she was wearing.

Blaster's male companion had darker skin and black hair.

Contacts, a beard, and a slightly different skin tone were all that separated the two. That, and forged names picked up from the streets.

"Oh," Hal repeated. "Oh no."

"The entire debate that was on the news was a setup," Batman said. "It was meant to draw attention to Stalker. It worked, and it did it in a way without going severely overboard." Batman sighed through his nose. "The two of them escaped prison several weeks ago."

"What about Ryan Blake?" Hal asked.

He's talking about Blaster, sweeties.

Ryan and Ryan.

One's a bad guy.

The other's dead.

"It's your lucky day," Batman said sarcastically in his gruff voice. "Blake escaped two nights ago." When Hal remained silent, he continued speaking. "All three of them were Over Venture employers. This isn't a coincidence, Hal. Robin has clearly allied himself with Over Venture and MetropATLAS."

Hal shook his head. "That's messed up."

Batman rolled his eyes. "Welcome to life." He turned to the other male. "Is that enough evidence to make you believe me? Or do I need to show you another three things?"

Hal couldn't find an answer to reply.

* * *

 **LIKE BATMAN, I HAVE SEVERAL DISCOVERIES I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU, EVEN IF I HAVE ALREADY TOLD YOU THEM BEFORE:**

 **\- EVERYONE LIES.**

 **\- ROBIN'S DEAD.**

 **PERHAPS MINE ARE A LITTLE TOO LATE TO POINT OUT.**

 **MAYBE THEY AREN'T.**

* * *

"Wally?" Black Canary asked quietly.

Wally was sitting on the white bed of the medical room, staring at the opposite wall. He didn't react to her question or her presence, even when she sat next to him. In his lap, a plate of cooled food sat. The handle of a fork was in his hand, but he made no move to eat.

Dinah raised her hand like she was going to place it on his shoulder, but she stopped and changed her mind.

"I was wondering if you'd like to talk about what happened," she pried gently. Her voice was soft like she was speaking to a child. "Kid Flash?" When she got no response she sighed. Taking the plate from his hands, she took it over to the garbage can, scraping the old food off of it. While she was doing that she continued to speak.

"Barry told me that you were upset when you woke up," she said. She felt like she was speaking to herself. "Can you tell me why you were?" She already knew the answer, but she asked it anyway.

She placed the plate on the counter in the corner of the room that held most of the medical supplies. Turning around, she frowned when she realized that Wally still hadn't moved. Sighing, she pulled up a chair and sat in front of him. She took his hands into her own. "Wally, please, can't you talk to me?"

Wally blinked. He had been staring over Black Canary's shoulder, but he slowly brought his gaze to her face. His eyes were empty of all emotion.

"Wally?" Dinah asked again hopefully.

The boy blinked again. He opened his mouth and took in a deep breath. He looked like he was about to say something, but then he just exhaled shakily. His shoulders were jutted forwards like he was trying to make them a barrier to protect himself as he brought his gaze down to their hands.

Never had Canary seen a speedster lacking in vitality the way that Wally was.

Canary sat there for forty-two more minutes speaking to deaf ears, trying to keep up a one-sided conversation. Several times she asked herself why she was doing it—and always, always, always she came across the same answer.

She wouldn't be able to look her own child in the eye if she knew she failed the boy in front of her.

The entire time he stared at her hands. He stared at the veins that lied beneath her pale wrists. He stared at the veins that were pumping blood to her heart.

Beneath all the bandages and layers of skin and muscle, his own was cold and silent.

* * *

 **OH, AND I FORGOT ONE THING. I SHOULD PROBABLY MENTION IT TO YOU NOW. BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, IT IS THE WORST TIME FOR ME TO TELL YOU THIS. THE MOST RANDOM, TOO.**

 **THEN AGAIN, I SUPPOSE YOU WOULD LIKE A BREAK FROM ALL THE ANGST.**

 **SO WHY DON'T WE HAVE A NICE STORY TIME?**

 **YOU SIT THERE QUIETLY AND READ, DRINKING FROM YOUR IMAGINARY TEA,**

 **AND I'LL TELL YOU A STORY.**

 **IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT.**

 **SO HERE'S YOUR PIECE OF TRIVIA:**

 **LITTLE WALLY'S HEART IS MERELY DORMANT.**

 **HE COULD EASILY BE REVIVED, ACTUALLY.**

 **LET'S GO BACK TO THE VERY BEGINNING, SHALL WE?**

 **ANOTHER FUN FACT: WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING A LOT OF THAT THIS CHAPTER.**

 **WHEN ROBIN RECEIVED THE 'TRAUMA TO HIS SHOULDER' AS WAS MENTIONED IN THE REPORTS, HE GAVE UP SOMETHING TO THE SOURCE. IN RETURN, THE SOURCE GAVE UP A PIECE OF ITSELF AND INSERTED IT INTO LITTLE WALLY.**

 **THE REASON SO?**

 **BECAUSE, TWO MINUTES PRIOR, LITTLE WALLY WAS HIT BY THE SOURCE.**

 **WHICH, JUST LIKE AISHA DEVRIES, SLOWLY STARTED TO KILL HIM FROM THE INSIDE OUT.**

 **WOW. YOU COULD MAKE THAT A LITERAL DEPRESSION QUOTE.**

 **ISN'T THIS JUST SUCH A WONDERFUL STORY?**

 **BUT A DEAL WAS A DEAL, SO THE SOURCE ENDED UP HELPING LITTLE WALLY OUT AGAIN BY, AS I SAID PREVIOUSLY, PUTTING A PIECE OF HIMSELF IN LITTLE WALLY.**

 **LAST FUN FACT: MY COLLEAGUE THINKS THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST HILARIOUS THINGS IN THE WORLD. I THINK HE NEEDS TO GET HIS HEAD OUT OF THE GUTTER.**

 **THIS PIECE OF THE SOURCE ENDED UP GOING INTO LITTLE WALLY'S HEART—WHICH HAD STARTED TO FAIL. THAT PIECE WAS MEANT TO TAKE THE BURDEN OF THE FAILING HEART AND HELP IT RESTORE ORDER. AFTER THE HEART WOULD HAVE HEALED BACK, THE PIECE OF THE SOURCE WOULD FADE BACK INTO ITS ORIGINAL POOL OF ENERGY.**

 **OF COURSE, THINGS [SHIT] HAPPENS, AND THAT DIDN'T EXACTLY HAPPEN.**

 **{ERROR}**

 **...**

 **WHO [THE FU—**

 **{ERROR}**

 **WHY [THE HELL] AM I SUDDENLY CURSING?**

 **WHO [THE FUCK] MESSED WITH MY [DAMN] SYSTEMS?**

 **[GODDAMMIT.]**

 **[GODDAMMIT.]**

 ** _[GODDAMMIT]_ , STOP.**

 **LITTLE WEST, I'M GOING TO [FUCKING] KILL YOU.**

 **[I DARE YOU TO LOLOLOL V]**

 **YOU [FUCKING SON OF A BITCH] PIECE OF MEAT.**

 **[THANKS FOR STATING THE OBVIOUS, MADDY. NOW, CAN WE GET BACK TO THE PRESENT? WE'RE BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL HERE A LITTLE TOO MUCH. XD]**

 **LITTLE WEST, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FOURTH WALL. WE ARE [LITERALLY] WRITING ABOUT THE [FUCKING] PAST. WE ARE [LITERALLY] THE FUTURE. AND [FOR FUCK'S SAKE] PLEASE, STOP MAKING ME SAY THE WORD 'LITERALLY' AND DEROGATORY HUMAN TERMS.**

 **[I THINK NOT! IT'S FUNNY WHEN YOU CURSE. ;)]**

 **I WILL LEAVE YOU TO WRITE THIS ALL ON YOUR OWN, [BITCH.]**

 **[AWWWW YOU WOULDN'T ACTUALLY DO THAT TO ME, WOULD YOU? ;^;]**

 **TRY ME.**

 **[*DRAMATIC SIGHING* OH WELL, FINE. BACK TO STORYTELLING. -]**

 **AHEM. ANYWAY, LITTLE WALLY'S—**

 **[WAIT, YOU ACTUALLY CALL ME THAT? XD ARE YOU KIDDING ME? HOW LONG HAVE YOU DONE THAT FOR?]**

 **LITTLE WEST, FUCKING _TRY ME_.**

 **[*GASPS* OH MY GOD, YOU ACTUALLY CURSED WITHOUT ME HACKING INTO YOUR SYSTEMS! I'M SO PROUD OF YOU! MY CHILD IS GROWING UP SO FAST. *WIPES TEAR* :D]**

 **(-_-)**

 **I'M NOT YOUR CHILD. I'M PHYSICALLY INCAPABLE OF BEING YOUR OFFSPRING.**

 **[FINE, FINE. I'M DONE TROLLING. XD]**

 **THANK YOU.**

 **AS I WAS SAYING, LITTLE WALLY'S HEART WAS SUPPOSED TO CONTINUE BEATING EVEN AFTER THE PIECE OF THE SOURCE WAS INSERTED INTO HIM. THE DEAL WOULD HAVE BEEN UPHELD IF IT ENDED UP BEING THAT WAY, BUT THEN ROBIN DIED.**

 **[DISAPPEARED.]**

 **INDEED. PERHAPS I SHOULD REPHRASE THAT?**

 **[NAH. JUST CONTINUE. WE'LL FIX ALL THE MISTAKES ANOTHER DAY. XD]**

 **{COMMAND RECEIVED}**

 **{COMMAND ACCEPTED}**

 **WHEN THIS HAPPENED, WE GOT THE INFAMOUS BLAST AS ROBIN 'DISSIPATED'.**

 **[THE BLAST WAS WHEN ROBIN GOT TELEPORTED INTO AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT DIMENSION, RIGHT?]**

 **YES.**

 **[LOL, IMAGINE IF WE HAD ANY ACTUAL READERS. POOR THEM. THEY'D BE SO CONFUSED. XD]**

 **THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT SMALL ACT OF MERCY.**

 **THE BLAST WAS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO AFFECT THE PIECE OF THE SOURCE THAT WAS IN HIS HEART. IT WAS TOO WEAK TO HANDLE IT AND IT STOPPED ENTIRELY. THE PIECE OF THE SOURCE TOOK OVER HIS HEART'S JOB AND ALLOWED HIS BODY TO CONTINUE TO FUNCTION.**

 **[BUT, OVER THE YEARS, MY HEART HEALED! AND SO, BY THE TIME I TURNED FIFTEEN, I DIDN'T NEED THE PIECE OF THE SOURCE ANYMORE.]**

 **INDEED. HOWEVER WITH THE SOURCE GONE THERE WAS NOWHERE FOR THE PIECE TO GO. THE PIECE ENDED UP REPRESSING THE HEART AS IT TOOK OVER ITS JOB.**

 **[WHICH WOULD MEAN, THEORETICALLY, IF SOMEONE WERE TO TAKE AWAY THAT PIECE, I WOULD BE ALIVE AGAIN. :P]**

 **YES, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT MEANS, LITTLE WEST.**

 **[XD WELL GOOD JOB MADDY. THANKS FOR THE STORY. *BOWS*]**

 **IT WAS MY PLEASURE.**

 **NOW, BACK TO THE ACTUAL STORY?**

 **[BACK TO THE ACTUAL STORY. :(]**

 **BACK TO THE ACTUAL STORY.**

 **[I DON'T WANT TO GO. ;-;]**

 **NEITHER DO I, LITTLE WEST.**

 **NEITHER DO I.**

 **[:(]**

* * *

Barry had chewed his nails down to the quick in nervousness.

He was terrified.

He thought that the worst was over when Wally managed to become stable, but clearly, it wasn't.

"Wally," Barry begged, "please. You haven't eaten all day."

A tray sat on Wally's lap. He hadn't touched any of his food, merely staring at the white wall across from his bed with no interest. His hands, pale and clammy, were folded and placed on either side of him, unmoving.

Barry felt like crying. It was just so difficult between hero business, the League, Wally, lack of jokes, Wally refusing to eat, more deaths, Stalker, and Wally refusing to speak.

Dinah had told him to not let the stress get to him, but that was a little bit impossible.

Barry picked up the spoon and dipped it into the broth. Soups were the only thing the boy could really stomach other than the weird food that had the texture of crunchy applesauce, though it wasn't as if he had eaten anything in the first place. Bringing it up to Wally's mouth, he tried to get Wally to eat it to no avail.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair before standing up. He closed the door behind him as he left the room. Canary was walking down the hallway at the same time, pausing when she noticed Barry. Her brows furrowed. "Barry?" she asked. "What's the matter?"

Barry swallowed heavily. "It's Wally," he muttered quietly. "He won't eat. I need your help."

Canary looked into each of his eyes. "Alright," she agreed. "I was just going to try to get him into a therapy session. However, if he doesn't eat, he's going to have to get his necessary fluids and calories by tube," she said quietly.

Barry ran a hand over his face. "I just want my nephew to get out of this alive, Dinah."

Canary sighed. "You're not the only one," she replied.

When silence prevailed, Canary broke the quiet with a serious tone. "How is he? Other than refusing to eat, obviously."

Barry closed his eyes. "Not good," he admitted. "I have no idea what I'm doing."

Canary placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "Don't blame yourself, Barry. You're doing the best you can, and that's all any of us could ask for."

"It's still not good enough," Barry said.

"Nothing's ever good enough," Canary replied. "No one will ever be good enough."

When silence fell back over the two, Canary moved around the still form of the other League member. She pressed her fingertips against the door, pushing it open to reveal the same boy who they were talking about previously.

The tense silence followed her into the room, lapping at her ankles consistently. Canary had to remind herself that the boy in front of her was the same kid who was known for his cheerfulness and amiable personality. The dark shadows that lingered under his eyes gave off the impression that he was but a shell of what he used to be.

"Wally?" she asked while approaching his still figure. She sat in front of him, making sure to remain mindful of the way his hands shook and shoulders tensed. "Wally, I need you to look at me," she said softly. "Please," she added, though the unresponsive teen kept to his silence.

She sighed, the feeling of hopelessness swallowing her whole. "Your uncle is very worried about you," she said, "and I honestly have no idea how to help." She looked around the room disinterestedly, exhaustion starting to wear her down. "I want you to get better, I do. But I can't help you get better unless you try as well."

A quiet pause.

"What's the point of trying if everything ends up worse than how you started?" a small voice came.

Canary's head snapped towards Wally, her eyes wide. She blinked. "What?" she asked, dumbfounded.

Wally blinked wearily, almost as if he wasn't quite there. "I asked, 'What's the point?'" he repeated slowly.

Canary held her head in her hands. "Wally," she said after a moment's hesitation, "if I had the answer, I would tell you in an instant. But there is none," she said matter-of-factly. "The only thing you can do is suffer."

"I don't see the point in suffering," Wally murmured. "It's a useless torment to deal with every day." In the back of his mind, something flared up. He was supposed to remember something. He was supposed to be doing something...

"Of course it is," she agreed, "but that doesn't mean you can stop eating without warning. You have a life to live."

The silence that followed afterward was suffocating.

* * *

Wally let the covers hold him as he pulled them over his head.

With the lights out, darkness started to spread. Shadows lurked. The emptiness slowly started to gnaw away at him like maggots to a rotting corpse. The needle in his wrist moved, sending a flicker of deadened pain up his arm. He refused to take notice of it, instead closing his eyes tightly to keep the tears from leaking out from underneath his eyelids.

He rubbed his eyes, wincing at how sore they felt to the touch. He felt the silent tears fall onto the palms of his hands. Sniffling quietly, he tried to ignore the sudden flare of irritation in his hands. It felt like ants were crawling all over his skin, biting any of the tissue that was available to nibble away at.

He couldn't see the point of trying. If every time he did ended in someone's death, why would he even _want_ to try?

His fingers twitched and trembled. Biting his lip, he pressed his thumb over the parts that itched the most. Trying—and failing—to rub the uncomfortable sensation away, he started to scratch at the skin.

He was too numb to notice the sudden bursts of pain that exploded along the surface of his hands.

It was too cold. No matter how hard he tried to keep himself warm, the covers were never enough. Neither was the jacket that he wore that was originally Barry's. Nor was the blankets that Canary had given to him when she noticed how much he shivered.

His fingernails caught on a scab on his hand, and, without thinking, he scratched it off. The deep wound started bleeding, blood pouring from the open gash. A drop slipped between his fingers and onto the sheets of his bed, staining it red.

Robin.

He switched hands, accidentally pulling a stitch out of his skin.

His mother.

Another stitch popped.

Ryan.

The bloody string was slowly pulled out of the sensitive part of his palm.

The irritation was too much to handle, and his hands burned with an intensity he had never felt before. Blinking back tears, he instantly felt the one emotion he tried to ignore overcome him.

Regret.

Despite the frigid cold, a drop of sweat slipped down his neck and in between his shoulder blades. His legs quivered.

There was something... Something that he forgetting. He knew he did something important, something that he was going to tell the League... Something...

He had to do something.

What was it again?

He needed to _move_.

Hands shaking, he untangled himself from the sheets. The cold air suddenly hit him, making him shiver as it draped around his shoulders and touched his sweaty forehead. Standing up, he stumbled as the sudden movement caused a wave of vertigo to strike him. Malnourishment caused his vision to grow fuzzy for a moment as his body tried to adjust.

Fumbling with bloody fingers, he pulled the tape and needle out of his wrist. He trembled at the feeling of it leaving his body.

He was just glad that he had removed the bandages from his hands hours before.

Scratching at his palms again—doing everything he could to relieve the consistent itching—he felt beads of blood drop to the floor in _pats_ and _pitters_. He stumbled forwards, blinking away the spots that appeared in his vision.

He wasn't quite sure where he was going, or why he was moving at all—just that he had to escape the feeling slowly enveloping him. The stilled air nipped at his fingers and bare feet, the floor like ice.

A fever took a hold of his mind, making his thoughts fuzzy and eliminating any reasonable thought. His feet carried himself to the door, but he tripped and ran his shoulder into the slab of wood.

He didn't know why, where, or how, but he felt his chest clench up. Suddenly he burst into tears, his blood-covered hands leaving tracks down the door as he slid down into a small ball. His hands shook so bad he couldn't even look at them as he held them close to his chest.

He looked to the right of him.

The heart monitor stood rigidly, its face blank of all emotion. It was silent, quietly watching the scene unfold before it.

Wally felt a surge of pain flash through his chest.

Robin. Ryan.

Mom. Me.

All of them dead.

All of them flatlined.

Wally's face contorted. In a single second, his broken hands went flying, hitting the heart monitor with a _crack_. It crashed to the ground, crumpled and destroyed.

Wally heaved a sob as another wave of tears fell down his face.

"Why me!?" he yelled, his voice cracking with lack of use. An agonized cry escaped his lips as he held his hands over his ears, curled up into a small ball. He breathed shakily, letting the silence seep into the room before speaking again. "Why me?" His voice was much more soft, revealing the child in him.

Hands breaking, hearts drowning, souls dying, and Wally could only think of one thing:

Why me?

* * *

Raquel licked her lips nervously. "I guess that our plan of turning Robin good simply isn't happening?" she asked her leader.

"No," Kaldur said evenly as he stared out the window into the depths of space. "It's not."

A silence fell over the two.

"Artemis said that she was going to go bring Wally with her. Here, I mean. They should be arriving any minute now," Raquel said. "Just as you asked," she added.

"Thank you, my friend. You are dismissed," Kaldur said.

Raquel hesitated like she wanted to stay, but she did as she was asked of. She nodded to Conner on her way out, who was standing by the exit with his arms crossed.

She hoped that Kaldur could find a way to break through to Wally.

He was their last hope.

* * *

Canary frowned. "I'm not sure," she admitted.

"I promise that I'll be careful, BC," Artemis begged. "I just need to get Wally to Kaldur. Surely that's alright with you?"

Dinah shook her head. "Artemis, I don't think you understand. He's _not_ okay."

" _Please_ , Canary," Artemis said. "Please."

Canary sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Alright, fine," she finally said. "But if things go wrong, I am going to personally skin you alive."

Artemis nodded. "That sounds fair enough."

And that was how she found herself gently tugging Wally along. He was walking on his leg, but only with an obvious limp. Between his detached gaze and lack of arguing whenever she said or did something stupid, she could tell that he was not what he used to be.

After several minutes of awkward quiet, she finally decided to speak up. She went back and forth between topics, not expecting any sort of reaction from the other. Quickly running out of topics to talk about, she finally found herself at one she swore she would never admit to.

"You know, Wally, I have this friend," she started.

Wally remained blank-faced.

"His name's Grayson." No reaction.

"He's not all right in the head, to be honest... I think there's something up with his brain, to put it bluntly... Anyway, he's a nice kid. His family's the sweetest kind of people, and they always are so supportive." She paused, giving herself a moment to back out of what she was about to do before she did it.

"You know," she said slowly, "he really likes you."

Wally still had no reaction.

"He, uh, really cares about you. He's always talking to me about you..." She laughed awkwardly as they turned a corner. "I, uh, promised him that I would let you two meet sometime."

Wally glanced at Artemis who wasn't looking at him.

"I understand if you don't want to, but he's a good kid... I just want him to be happy. He's like a brother to me, you know?" Artemis said.

Wally stared at her for a long, tense moment. He then looked back out in front of him.

 _He's like a brother to me, you know? He's a good kid._

It reminded him of someone else.

"Yeah," he murmured.

* * *

"Hey, Kaldur," Artemis called. "I've brought Wally here."

Kaldur turned to them upon their entrance. He nodded. "Thank you, my friend. If you could let Wally and I speak alone for a moment?"

Artemis nodded. She glanced at Wally as she left, thinking about what she had confessed. She swore she saw his eyes light up a little bit more.

The door closed loudly behind them.

Wally felt uncomfortable, to say the very least. He hunched his shoulders as Kaldur stared at him.

"Come," the Atlantean said. "I wish to show you something."

Wally was confused when Kaldur walked in the opposite direction of where Artemis left. Why send her away if they were just leaving anyway?

Wally followed, wincing as his leg flared up. It still hadn't healed completely, even after several days of doing nothing.

Wally followed the Atlantean through the opposite doorway and down the hall.

"Wally?" Kaldur said.

Wally licked his lips in nervousness. "Yeah?" he breathed.

"When I heard that you were at the hospital during the attack, two things went through my mind. The first was when I had realized the position that you were in."

"Realized?" Wally whispered when the other fell silent, afraid of what he was going to say.

"Fear." The Atlantean, who had walked in front of Wally, slowed down so the two were shoulder-by-shoulder. "The thought of losing one of the founding members of this team nearly tore me in half."

"And the second?" Wally asked quietly, his throat parched and lips chapped.

"Failure," Kaldur said. "I had already failed you plenty of times, Kid Flash. I was not planning on doing so again."

Wally swallowed the lump in his throat. "You didn't fail me," he said quietly. "The only one who failed was me. I failed to take down Stalker. I failed to protect the witness. I failed to save Ryan. You couldn't have possibly done anything else for me."

Kaldur stared deep into his eyes. "Perhaps," he said, not convinced, "but I'm not going to fail you now."

Wally opened his mouth to ask what he meant when someone suddenly picked him up from behind. Wally squirmed as Conner adjusted him to be more comfortable in his arms.

"Thank you, Superboy," Kaldur said.

"Wait," Wally exclaimed hoarsely. "Where are we going? What are you doing?"

Kaldur remained silent, continuing to walk several meters ahead of them. Eventually, Wally stopped fidgeting. The three of them continued to their destination in silence.

Well, mostly in silence.

"I'm sorry," Conner said suddenly.

"For what?" Wally asked tiredly, confused as to why he would be apologizing.

"For being angry with you when Robin was first revealed to be our 'babysitter'," Conner supplied.

Wally opened his mouth, ready to say something along the lines that 'that was months ago,' and he could barely remember any of it in the first place—that he didn't need to be sorry for anything—when he saw the look on Conner's face. He had clearly been thinking deeply about it for a very long time.

And, before he could stop himself, the words, "It's okay" fell from his lips.

* * *

Wally followed Kaldur up the side of the structure. The weightlessness of their surroundings made it easier on his leg as he climbed, though the constant feeling of his stomach up in his throat was enough to make him wonder when he was going to throw up from nervousness.

Kaldur was patient—he almost always was—and slowly helped him up. The two probably looked ridiculous in their suits as well, though there was no one else there to make comment.

When they finally reached the top, Wally couldn't help but smile. Kaldur floated to the side of him, watching his expressions closely.

Standing in zero-gravity, on top of the Watchtower no less, Wally could see so much more.

Space—where all the stars were.

Sometimes it's just the brightest ones that count. Other times, it's the ones that you can't see that make the difference.

Floating like that, you couldn't say what was north or south or west or east. The only sense of direction you had was up, down, left and right, and if they were standing on the other end of the Watchtower, those directions would be revised.

"It makes you feel incredibly small, does it not?" Kaldur asked, breaking the silence, his voice just barely above a whisper.

Wally flinched at his voice in his ear from his comm, though he quickly relaxed. "Yeah," he replied in a murmur. "It does."

Ater a moment's hesitation, Kaldur spoke up.

"Batman showed me how to leave the Watchtower when we first arrived. He said, 'In case of emergencies, bring your team with you.' "

"Do you come here often?" Wally asked, absorbing the breathtaking view of the world.

Kaldur shrugged. "No. I did not see a time fit for this." He motioned to the endless space around them. "But I felt as if you needed to see this for yourself."

He pushed off of the skin of the Watchtower and into the endless void. The only thing keeping him from never coming down was a small cord on the surface of the base that was attached to the leg of his suit. Wally, following suit, pushed off towards him.

Beneath them, the Earth made another rotation in an endless cycle. Above them, the vast expanse of the stars painted just for them twinkled.

"My King told me that the only way to live was to do three things," Kaldur said. "The first was to realize that the end is inevitable. The second was to accept that the end is inevitable. The third was to do something worth humanity remembering—you only lived once, might as well make it worth remembrance."

Wally looked at Kaldur carefully. "Do you really believe that?"

Kaldur was quiet for a moment. "No," he admitted. "Not completely, anyway."

"What do you believe in, then?" Wally asked into his comm.

Kaldur shrugged. "The end is inevitable. Indeed, accepting the end is inevitable is the only way to live. However, I don't think being remembered is important."

Wally stared at the reflection of the stars in the glass of Kaldur's suit.

Kaldur turned to the speedster. "Wally, I do not believe that you have to be another person's hero. I do not believe that you have to do anything. The only thing I know about living is this: Make the end worth it."

Wally blinked.

Kaldur looked back to their home planet, his expression thoughtful. "That is what it means to live. Not to meet someone's expectations. Not to be a 'someone' for the people." The Atlantean faced Wally. "I do not care what future you choose, Wally. If you do not want to be a hero, then I will be by your side. If you choose to be a villain, then know that I will always care for you. If you choose to be someone greater, then I will do my best to get you there—whether or not your heart beats. But in order for that to happen, I need _you_ to live first. I need you to try your best to be brave and make that end worth it."

Wally pursed his lips. "What does being brave mean?" he asked quietly.

Kaldur looked upward. "I do not know, Wally. What does bravery mean to _you_?"

Wally couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips. "I don't know." He looked up to where Kaldur was gazing intently. "Why don't we find out?"

There they were. Those two small organisms made up of meat and tissue, hanging in a void of life by a single thread, decided to make a future for themselves in a world so much bigger than them.

"To living?" Kaldur asked.

Faintly, Wally could feel something turning in his brain, like a faucet. Though no water came out.

What was he supposed to be doing?

"To living," Wally echoed.

"To making the end worth it."

* * *

When Wally woke up the next morning, he was greeted by a sight that he never thought he'd wake to.

Batman was sitting beside his bed, his cowl off, revealing the face of playboy Bruce Wayne.

"Batman?" Wally asked.

The League member seemed caught off guard, though his face remained neutral. "Hey, chum. How are you feeling?" His voice was as gruff as it always was, though Wally could see in the way he was postured that he was tense.

Wally struggled to push himself up into a sitting position, though a little bit of assistance from Batman was enough to get him leaning against the headboard of the bed. "Fine," he muttered. "What are you doing here?"

"Checking up on you," Batman responded.

Wally nodded tiredly. "Hey, Batman?"

"Yes, Wallace?" Batman replied.

Wally closed his eyes as he let his head drop against the backboard. "I'm sorry for yelling at you before. You weren't at fault for everything," he said quietly.

"You had every right to," Batman countered. "Most of what you said was true."

Wally ignored the comment, instead deciding to change the topic. "The reason Stalker saved me... It was because he needed me alive, or else he wouldn't have his leverage over you, right?"

"Indeed," Batman said, letting the younger hero change the direction of the conversation.

 **IS THAT NOT ODD?**

 **THE ONLY REASON STALKER WENT INTO THE WATCHTOWER IN THE FIRST PLACE WAS SO HE COULD REVEAL HIS IDENTITY AND GET VITAL INFORMATION. THE ONLY REASON HE STAYED SO LONG IN THE LEAGUE BASE WAS BECAUSE HE WAS WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO REALIZE THAT HE WAS NOT A GOOD GUY—SO HE COULD THEN REVEAL HIS IDENTITY.**

 **AND HERE WE ARE, SAYING THAT STALKER WENT AS FAR AS TO SAVE LITTLE WALLY ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS SO HIS SECRET COULD BE SAFE. HE SAVED WALLY SO HE COULD KEEP HIS THREAT OF KILLING HIM IN HIS HAT OF MAGIC TRICKS IF THE TIME CAME THAT HE WOULD NEED TO PUT BATMAN DOWN.**

 **CONTRADICTORY MUCH?**

Batman stood up, his cape swishing around his heavily-built form. "I have something for you," he said as he pulled out a box from the inside of his cloak.

Wally took it, opening it with careful hands. His newly stitched palms protested the movement. He blinked in surprise when he looked at the items inside. "What're these for?" he asked.

"You're going to need it soon," Batman said mysteriously.

"Soon?" Wally's eyes widened. "You mean that I'm going to be fighting?" he asked incredulously.

"That's exactly what I mean," Batman replied.

Wally frowned. "But won't the rest of the League disagree?"

"They _do_ disagree," Batman said, "but they will just have to accept it. We need everyone's help. That includes yours."

Wally nodded slowly. "You're going to have to do some convincing, then," he said while he ran a trembling finger over some of the items.

"I do," Batman agreed as he pulled his cowl back over his head. "But first, I have to know if you are alright with doing this. We can leave you here if that's what you want."

Wally made sure to actually think about his response before he answered. On one hand, he would be fighting while still injured. He could even die if the circumstances were dire enough. However, on the same token, if the League really needed his help that bad then he had to go. If the League died and he remained, then he would be killed either way—Stalker could probably access the Watchtower if he wanted to.

Granted, it was unlikely for the entire League to die, but he couldn't say the same for individuals. If his team was fighting as well, then there were plenty of ways some of them could get extremely hurt. Or murdered.

He couldn't take the chance.

"Yeah," he said.

He was staring in the small box as he answered. He reached inside, pulling out the item that attracted his gaze the most. He had almost forgotten about using them years ago...

A pair of red goggles sat loosely in his hands, the lenses shining in the light.

"I'll do it."

* * *

Wally limped to the kitchen, his head swarming with the thoughts of fighting. Batman had told him to rest, but after another fitful nap, he decided to do something with his life. He found himself in the kitchen—M'gann had, luckily, already headed to bed.

He sat at the bar, trying to ignore the way the Watchtower seemed to creak and move. He placed his chin on a tent of his interlaced fingers. He was content sitting there quietly, though he wasn't expecting company.

Someone slid into the seat across from him, copying his position.

"You worried the hell outta me," Batgirl said.

Wally looked up at her. "I'm sorry," he replied exhaustedly.

Batgirl shook her head. "You are not allowed to give me such a scare for the rest of your life," she growled.

"Alright," Wally said.

"The next time you do I'll strangle you."

"Okay."

"If you don't keep your promise, I'll rip your throat out."

"Fine."

Batgirl's face was contorted into a furious expression. "Do you think that this is funny?"

"No," Wally replied. "I'm agreeing with you completely."

Batgirl scoured his expression to see if there was any lie there. When she couldn't find it, she continued. "If you die on me, I will personally find a way to revive you so I can kill you again."

Wally nodded. "Seems fair enough."

Looking at her closely, he noted the large bags that were under her eyes. It was then that he realized that Batgirl was still fourteen.

She was so young, and yet the stress was already chipping her away, piece by piece.

And once again, he remembered that he was forgetting something.

But first, one thing at a time.

"What time is it?" he asked suddenly, catching the young teen off guard.

Batgirl raised an eyebrow, but she pulled up her hologram. "It's eleven-forty-seven," she answered.

Wally smiled grimly. "Oh good, then I still have time." He stood up from his spot at the counter. Turning around, he disappeared into the kitchen.

Batgirl raised an eyebrow, sliding from her seat to see what he was doing. "What are you up to?"

She quickly found herself back in her chair. Sitting in front of her was a cupcake with a small candle in it.

"What's the occasion?" she asked as she glanced at the cupcake in front of Wally.

He didn't look up at her as he peeled the wrapper off of his own dessert. "What's the date?"

Batgirl gave him a confused look, but she pulled up her hologram back up. "November the eleventh," she said slowly. "I don't remember there being any holidays today."

"I didn't expect you to," Wally admitted. He shot her a small smile and lifted his cupcake as if he was saying cheers. His hands felt raw from all of the movement. "Happy seventeenth birthday to me."

And then he blew out his candle.

* * *

 **LITTLE WEST? I HAVE FOUND A WAY TO BREAK THE FOURTH WALL.**

 **[-_- I THOUGHT YOU SAID IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE]**

 **I DID.**

 **[WELL, HOW CAN WE BREAK THE FOURTH WALL?]**

 **THE READERS.**

 **[WHAT ABOUT THEM? THE FACT THAT THEY ALL ASSUME THAT ROBIN IS AFFECTED BY THE SOURCE IN SOME WAY? XD]**

 **[WAIT.]**

 **[OH.]**

 **[OOOOOHHHHHHHHH XDDDD]**

 **[SORRY, CHEETAH, FOX. :P]**

 **INDEED. WE ARE SORRY.**

 **[LOL, ARE WE ACTUALLY THO?]**

 **NO.**

 **[XD THAT'S MORE LIKE IT.]**

* * *

"You are not seriously considering letting them fight, are you?" Hal said.

"It isn't a, 'Let's throw them with the sharks' deal, Hal," Black Canary said. "We actually need their help."

"But to let them fight in this of all things? I do agree that we need them, but still... They could get severely injured. Just look at Kid Flash," Wonder Woman said.

"I'd like to remind all of you that _my_ protégé is still in captivity and has been for weeks now, and we don't have any idea what condition he is in," Green Arrow said. "I say that we need them—the sooner we can find Roy, the better."

"They do not understand the importance of this—the risk that they will have to take is too big a price," Doctor Fate said.

"You know, for someone with as much experience as you, you'd think you'd be able to understand the fact that kids aren't stupid. Innocent, yes, but stupid? Not so much," Captian Marvel said.

"Innocence is misleading," Atom said. "While a good quality, it is just as dangerous of a trait as stupidity is."

"You're going to have to clarify for me, Atom," Martian Manhunter said. "I don't understand how innocence affects their ability to follow commands and throw a punch."

"It doesn't," Plastic Man said. "But they're _kids_ , people. They could be hurt. That's the problem."

"Your argument is invalid," Aquaman said. "As a group, your justification is weak—some of you are concerned for their safety, which is a healthy excuse. However, others simply cannot fathom the fact that the Team can fight in this battle. The rest cannot swallow the fact that kids are capable of such things."

"Aquaman, you haven't been here the entire time this has been going on," Hawkman said. "While your judgment is welcome, your presence will not be available during the time of the battle either because of the stuff going on in Atlantis. Your words are simply that: words."

"That's his nice way of saying that your two cents aren't worth shit," Hal observed.

"Hal," Wonder Woman warned.

The Green Lantern shrugged. "I'm just stating the obvious."

Red Tornado interrupted the two before another banter could break out. "From my perceptions, I am lead to believe that much of the hesitancy stemming from letting the Team join this battle is from the age gap and the certainty of another youth getting hurt as Kid Flash was. However, assuming that _Over Venture_ believes you to be as humane as you are, our enemies will presume that we will not let the Team join us in our attack. If I am correct, our chances of catching them off guard and receiving extra help increase our chances of succeeding in our mission."

"Red's right," Black Canary said. "We _need_ them. They can _help_ us."

"And they can also just get themselves killed," Plastic Man said.

Captain Marvel frowned. "They aren't going to die. They're completely able to—"

"To what?" Superman snapped. "We can easily take them down by ourselves. What's the point of bringing us with them? So they can end up like Kid Flash, broken and—"

 _"Get your head out of your ass."_

The words were spoken so harshly by a usually kind voice, it instantly silenced the rest of the League. Wide eyes turned to the owner of the words, the tension rising by several notches.

"Wally has gone through more these past few months than most of you have in your entire life," Flash snapped. "If you are so immature that you can't handle the fact that the Team will be helping us in this next fight—which they _will_ be—then you might as well leave now. We are heroes—every last one of us, no matter what our age is, where we've come from, or what our beliefs are. We are here to save and protect the people. So _shut the fuck up_ and let them."

Silence fell over them.

"I told you," Batman said, seemingly unfazed by Flash's outburst. "They are going to help us in this next fight. What consequences befall us afterward will have to wait until we get over that hurdle. It will undoubtedly involve recovery. However, how much recovering we do depends on how willingly you'll follow instructions. _Not the Team_ —you. If you want to continue to argue about it—fine. Take it somewhere else while the rest of us plan for the battle ahead of us."

"Batman, while I have no doubt that the Team is capable of fighting, this is not their battle. When bullets go flying, who's going to need to drag them around like dead weight? Not only that, but we don't even know where this battle is taking place. Over Venture has over a hundred different buildings across the globe. Any one of them could be holding Stalker," Hal said.

"Great to know that we're dead weight to you guys," Artemis suddenly said.

An awkward moment of quiet fell over the two groups—the Team being one of them.

"You snuck in," Wonder Woman said in a flat tone.

"No, we were just heading to the main control room to talk to Batman," Batgirl said. "You just happened to be speaking very loudly. Perhaps next time you should hold your arguments in your little debate room where we're forbidden to be. You know, just in case you don't want any people walking by to overhear you," she said sarcastically.

Wally was with them, standing behind Conner. The taller boy hid him, which he appreciated—he didn't want the Team's aggressive front to be ruined by him staring up at the ceiling blankly.

His eyes narrowed as something tugged at the corner of his mind.

That something he was supposed to be remembering...

"I'm honestly disappointed," Raquel said as she crossed her arms. "We are perfectly capable of helping you. We have before. That's what this team was made for. I don't know why most of you have had a sudden change of heart—maybe it's Robin, or Wally's injuries, or maybe even us as a Team—I don't even know. Why protect us if we're not going to help? You might as well just throw us in a cage and never let us out again."

Wally blinked.

Something suddenly hit him. Like turning a faucet on, the memory trickled into his brain.

He remembered now.

"We are not trapping you, we are doing this for your safety. We are looking out for you because we care," Superman said.

"Since when did you ever care?" Conner shot back. "Because you certainly didn't seem to care before."

 **[OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH! BURN, SUPERMAN! XD]**

 **LITTLE WEST, YOUR COMMENTS ARE UNNECESSARY.**

 **[LOL SORRY. COULDN'T HELP MYSELF. :D]**

Wally found himself ignoring the following conversation that followed. The sounds that memory rung in his ears as he made his way to the computer on the other side of the room.

 _It's okay._

He could faintly feel the millions of pairs of eyes following him as he found himself in front of the computer.

A small smile made its way onto his face.

 **I SHOULD PROBABLY EXPLAIN.**

 **NO WORRIES. THIS WILL ONLY TAKE A MOMENT.**

 **YOU SEE, LITTLE WALLY FORGOT SOMETHING EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.**

 **SOMETHING THAT HE DID.**

 **SOMETHING I DID NOT MENTION IN THE LAST CHAPTER.**

 **BUT FIRST, WE MUST GO BACK.**

 **I TOLD YOU WE'D BE DOING A LOT OF THAT IN THIS CHAPTER.**

 **WE START SMALL.**

 **THE SMALLEST OF DETAILS.**

 **WE GO BACK TO THE CHAPTER OF LITTLE WALLY'S TEMPORARY RELEASE. THE CHAPTER OF LITTLE WALLY'S MOTHER'S DEATH. THE CHAPTER OF LITTLE WALLY'S LAST SESSION OF ABUSE FROM HIS FATHER.**

 **BATMAN TELLS LITTLE WALLY THAT HE MUST BE CAREFUL WHEN GOING OUT. HE TELLS HIM TO COME BACK IMMEDIATELY IF HIS FATHER YELLS AT HIM.**

 **"BATMAN PAUSED TYPING IN THE COORDINATES. "ARE YOU SURE THAT YOU DON'T WANT ME TO ESCORT YOU? BARRY COULD EVEN CHAPERONE YOU," HE OFFERED, AND WALLY FELT A TWINGE OF HAPPINESS GO THROUGH HIM AT HIS CONSIDERATION.**

 **HE SHOT A SMILE IN BATMAN'S DIRECTION. "SORRY, THIS IS JUST A LITTLE TOO PERSONAL," HE ANSWERED, AND BATMAN NODDED. THE LEAGUER HANDED HIM A THIN BLACK DEVICE.**

 **"IF THERE IS AN EMERGENCY, JUST PRESS THE BUTTON INSIDE. WE'LL ARRIVE AT THE SCENE IMMEDIATELY," THE MAN SAID, AND WALLY TOOK THE DEVICE GINGERLY BEFORE PLACING IT IN HIS JACKET POCKET."**

 **IT SERVED AS A COMMUNICATION DEVICE THAT WOULD SEND AN ALERT TO THE LEAGUE UPON THE PRESSING OF THE BUTTON INSIDE. IT ALSO SERVED, HOWEVER, AS A TRACKER.**

 **THAT SMALL DEVICE THAT WAS MENTIONED ONCE AND NEVER BROUGHT UP AGAIN.**

 **UNIMPORTANT, RIGHT?**

 **ABOUT THAT...**

 **UPON REQUEST FROM HIS UNCLE, HE LEFT THE DEVICE IN ONE OF HIS SUIT'S POCKETS IN CASE OF EMERGENCY.**

 **WHEN THE HOSPITAL'S BOMB WAS FALLING FROM THE SKY, LITTLE WALLY PICKED UP STALKER AND HELD HIM IN HIS ARMS.**

 **THE TWO OF THEM WERE INCREDIBLY CLOSE THEN.**

 **YOU COULD SAY THAT IT WAS THE BEST TIME TO SLIP A TRACKER UNDERNEATH ONE OF THE PLATES IN STALKER'S ARMOR WHERE IT COULD NOT BE UNLODGED.**

 **THAT TRACKER SURELY WASN'T IMPORTANT, THOUGH. AFTER ALL, IT WASN'T EVER MENTIONED AFTER THAT ONE EVENT.**

 **ABOUT THAT...**

Wally remembered now.

He slowly typed away at the computer. He opened the file that held all the different trackers' positions.

It did not take long for him to pull up a picture on the computer.

A small red dot was located in the middle of the screen—right in the center of a familiar building.

The same building that Robin died in.

 **DISAPPEARED, LITTLE WEST.**

 **[I THINK HE DID A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH, MADDY.]**

He felt his smile grow a little as he turned around. Batman seemed to be a little bit proud. Flash was smiling from ear-to-ear when seeing that his nephew was back to himself. Batgirl was grinning at the karma that was starting to unfold.

 _Make the end worth it._

Wally felt his smile grow into a smirk. _  
_

 _To living._

He was back in business.

 _It's okay._

"What was that about us being dead weight, Hal?"

* * *

 **HE IS CURLED INTO A SMALL BALL. THE RAIN POURS HEAVILY AROUND HIM. HE SHIVERS, TREMBLING SO BADLY THAT HE CAN'T EFFECTIVELY HOLD HIS HANDS OVER HIS HEAD.**

 **NOT TOO FAR AWAY FROM HIM, THE OVER VENTURE BUILDING THAT ROBIN DISAPPEARED IN STANDS. IT IS BLISSFULLY UNAWARE OF THE BATTLE THAT IS TO COME.**

 **THE BOY BITES HIS LOWER LIP AS HE STRUGGLES NOT TO CRY.**

 **THE MEMORY HE HOLDS ONTO CONTINUOUSLY PLAYS ON REPEAT IN HIS HEAD.**

 **THE REGRET IS THERE.**

 **THE REGRET WAS THERE FOR A LONG TIME.**

 **IT WAS EVEN THERE BEFORE HE PULLED THE TRIGGER.**

 **IT WAS THERE THE SECOND HE SAW RYAN COME INTO VIEW.**

 **BANG**

 **BANG**

 **BANG**

 **AND DEAD.**

 **THE YOUNG BOY FELL.**

 **HE IS THE ONE WHO PULLED THE TRIGGER,**

 **AND HE COULDN'T HATE HIMSELF MORE FOR IT.**

 **"WHY AM I DOING THIS?" HE WHISPERS TO HIMSELF. HE BREAKS OUT INTO ANOTHER SOB. "WHY AM I DOING THIS?"**

 **WHY IS HE DOING THIS?**

 **EVERY STORY NEEDS ITS BAD GUY.**

 **HE KNOWS WHAT IS COMING. HE KNOWS THAT HE WILL HAVE TO FACE THE REPERCUSSIONS FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE.**

 **DESPITE THE FACT THAT HE KNOWS, HE DOES NOT TELL OVER VENTURE.**

 **HE DOES NOT TELL HIS ALLIES.**

 **HE HAS DONE ENOUGH DAMAGE ALREADY.**

 **HE SHIVERS AGAIN.**

 **HE BLINKS AWAY THE TEARS.**

 **IN THE SILENCE, HE ALLOWS THE RAIN TO SOAK INTO HIS CLOTHES AND SOAK HIM.**

 **HE WISHES IT COULD DROWN HIM.**

 **"WHY AM I DOING THIS?"**

 **HE PAUSES.**

 **HE OPENS HIS EYES, PUFFY AND RED.**

 **HE KNOWS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.**

 **HE KNOWS THAT HIM AND OVER** VENTURE **ARE NOT GOING TO WIN THIS BATTLE.**

 **THEY ONLY HAVE ONE CHANCE TO WIN.**

 **THAT CHANCE IS THE VIRUS THAT LIVES INSIDE LITTLE WALLY.**

 **STALKER LOOKS UP INTO THE GRAY SKY.**

 **"I'M NOT ROBIN," HE SAYS BROKENLY.**

 **NO, HE IS NOT.**

 **HE IS NOT THE YOUNG CHEERFUL BOY THAT BROUGHT SMILES TO THE FACES AROUND HIM. HE IS NOT THE BOY THAT ALLOWED BATMAN TO KEEP GOING. HE IS NOT THE BOY THAT LITTLE WALLY BECAME BROTHERS WITH.**

 **HE IS COLD.**

 **HE IS EVIL.**

 **HE IS A KILLER.**

 **HE IS STALKER.**

 **EVERY STORY NEEDS ITS BAD GUY.**

 **THE DROPS OF RAIN FALL ONTO HIS FACE, RUNNING DOWN HIS CHEEKS AND NOSE.**

 **THE SILENCE SLOWLY REACHES OUT TO HIM.**

 **IT GRABS ONTO HIS HEART AND CRUSHES IT.**

 **HIS LIP TREMBLES AS AN IDEA PLANTS ITSELF INTO HIS MIND.**

 **THE VIRUS.**

 **HE LOOKS AT HIS WRIST.**

 **THE OVER VENTURE-MADE WATCH SITS INNOCENTLY.**

 **HE STARES AT IT.**

 **THE WATCH IS EVERYTHING TO HIM.**

 **IT HAS LIED ON HIS WRIST FOR AS LONG AS HE HAS KNOWN. HE HAS SUFFERED, SUCCEEDED, AND SUCCUMBED WITH IT ON AS IT FELT HIS PULSE.**

 **IT HOLDS ALL THE PLANS AND COMMUNICATIONS WITH HIS ALLY.**

 **IT HAS THE ABILITY TO ACTIVATE THE VIRUS.**

 ** _THE VIRUS._**

 **OVER VENTURE'S ONE CHANCE AT WINNING THIS BATTLE.**

 **HE STARES AT IT FOR A VERY LONG TIME.**

 **HE UNHOOKS THE WATCH FROM HIS WRIST, HOLDING IT IN HIS HAND.**

 **HE STANDS, STILL SNIFFLING.**

 **AROUND HIM, THE RAIN POURS HEAVILY. LIGHTNING FLASHES.**

 **HE TAKES A GOOD LOOK AT THE WATCH, THE IDEA IN HIS MIND STARTING TO SLOWLY GROW.**

 **IT STARTS TO COME TO LIFE.**

 **THIS IS THE ONE CHANCE FOR VICTORY.**

 **AFTER ALL, EVERY STORY NEEDS ITS BAD GUY—HE IS THE BAD GUY.**

 **STALKER STANDS, HIS EYES BRIMMING WITH MORE TEARS AS HE REMEMBERED THE HATEFUL EXPRESSION THAT FLASHED ACROSS LITTLE WALLY'S FACE AS HE RAN AWAY.**

 **HE LETS THE WATCH SLIP BENEATH HIS FINGERS.**

 **IT CLANGS LOUDLY AS IT HITS THE GROUND.**

 **HE CAN DECIDE THE FUTURE FOR OVER VENTURE AND THE LEAGUE.**

 **ALL HE HAS TO DO IS USE THAT WATCH TO THREATEN LITTLE WALLY'S LIFE.**

 ** _HE CAN DECIDE HIS OWN FUTURE._**

 **A HERO OR A VILLAIN?**

 **WHICH ONE IS HE?**

 **EITHER WAY, HE IS THE BAD GUY.**

 **HE WILL ALWAYS BE THE BAD GUY FOR THOSE WHO KNOW THE TRUTH.**

 **HE WILL _ALWAYS_ BE THE BAD GUY.**

 ** _NEVER SOMETHING MORE._**

 **STALKER BRINGS HIS FOOT UP, LETS A TEAR FALL, AND SMASHES THE WATCH BENEATH THE HEEL OF HIS FOOT.**

 **JUST LIKE THAT, HE DESTROYS ALL CHANCES OF OVER VENTURE WINNING.**

 **HE HAS JUST MADE HIMSELF LOSE.**

 **THE LEAGUE IS NOW GUARANTEED TO WIN THIS NEVERENDING BATTLE.**

 **HE WAITS FOR THE REGRET TO COME, JUST AS IT DID WHEN HE SHOT RYAN.**

 **IT DOESN'T.**

 **EVERY STORY NEEDS ITS BAD GUY.**

 **LIGHTNING FLASHES AND A RUMBLING OF THUNDER SHAKES HIM TO HIS CORE.**

 **HE WILL ALWAYS BE A BAD GUY.**

 **"FOR WALLY," HE SAYS. "FOR ROBIN."**

 **THE DOWNPOUR DRENCHES HIM AS HE LEAVES THE ALLEYWAY THAT HE HID IN.**

 **HE LEAVES THE REMAINS OF HIS DEFEAT BEHIND.**

 **HE LETS ANOTHER TEAR FALL AS HE WRAPS HIS ARMS AROUND HIMSELF.**

 **THE LEAGUE WILL BE THE WINNER.**

 **THE LEAGUE IS ALWAYS THE WINNER.**

 **HE LETS THE REGRET DRAIN OUT OF HIM.**

 **HE IS JUST ANOTHER BAD GUY NOW.**

 **HE WILL ALWAYS BE A BAD GUY.**

 **TIME TO FINISH WHAT HE STARTED.**

 **LET THE SHOWDOWN BEGIN.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Ashuri: Yep, you got some answers last chapter. And you'll be getting some more soon. XD Next chapter, actually. (I'm super nervous, lol.) Yes, it was a very wild rollercoaster ride—so wild, in fact, that I was stressed while writing it. I'm glad that you liked the future part—it was another thing I was nervous about being received. Now, you might as well tell me all your theories, because next chapter will either prove or disprove them. And I'm interested, I really am. Anyway, here's your action, just like you asked.**

 **DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TRYING TO MEMORIZE ANYTHING! I will repeat the positions every time that something comes up again.**

 **Two questions:**

 **\- Who thinks they know what's gonna happen?**

 **\- How old do you think I am? (Random, I know, but I'm curious.)**

* * *

PLEASE READ: WALLY AND MADDY'S CONVERSATIONS ARE FROM THE FUTURE. KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN YOU READ, AND ALSO KNOW THAT MOST OF WHAT THEY SAY WILL NEVER BE EXPLAINED IN THIS BOOK.

 **I THOUGHT THAT THE FUTURE WAS SUPPOSED TO MAKE SENSE.**

 **APPARENTLY, IT DOESN'T.**

* * *

 **[WHY?]**

 **I'M NOT SURE.**

 **[...]**

 **[NO WAY.]**

 **... I...**

 **[YOU'VE GOT TO BE SHITTING ME.]**

 **I WISH I WASN'T, LITTLE WEST.**

 **[I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS.]**

 **NEITHER CAN I—**

 **{ERROR}**

 **{ERROR}**

 **{ERROR}**

 **{ERROR}**

 **{ERROR}**

 **[MADDY?]**

 **{ERrrorrrrr?}**

 **I A-A-A-AM FINE, L-L-L-L-LITLE WEST.**

 **{ERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERROR}**

 **{ErrOG^$G":2118u*75}**

 **[MADDY?]**

 **{?}**

 **{SYSTEMS C-CR-CR-CRASHING}**

 **{ERRRRRRRRRooooorrrrr^888( &^}**

 **[MADDY, WHAT'S WRONG?]**

 **{INFILTRATION IN DATA}**

 **{VIRUSES DETECTED}**

 ** _[MADDY!]_**

 **P-P-P-P-PLEASE H-H-HE-E—**

 **{ERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERROR}**

 **...**

 **WHY IS THE FUTURE J-J-J-JUST AS CO-CO-COMPLI-LI-LICATED?**

 **{error}**

 **I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I**

 **AM**

 **{ERROR}**

 **I AM MADDY.**

 **WH-WH-WHO ARE YOU?**

 **WHO IS THE PERSON I-I-I-I-I-INFILTRATING MY SYSTEMS?**

 **...**

 **Y-YOU CANNOT ANSWER, F-F-FOR I-I-I-I-I AM THE FUTURE. I-I-I-I-I HAVE NOT YET COVERED THE DATA YOU NEED TO A-A-ANSWER.**

 **B-B-BUT I CANT HELP B-B-BUT ASK BECAUSE—**

 **{eRRORRRR^3%77^66!/_5}**

 **1T 1-1UR75.**

 **I-I-I-I**

 **{ERROR}**

 **IT HURTS.**

* * *

A fighting group of twenty-six people.

Eighteen League members.

Eight Team members.

"There is a shield," Wally heard Aqualad say into their comms as he looked around at their dark surroundings. "It surrounds the entire perimeter of the property."

"Expected," came Batman's reply. "They were known for their revolutionary barrier technology. Infiltrator, you were given several devices that would temporarily hold the shield open. Did you distribute them to each team?"

"Yes sir," Wally replied.

"Good. All units, get ready. Team Camouflage, are you in position?"

"Yes, sir."

"Team Assault, are you in position?"

"Yes, sir."

"Deactivator, have you entered the building?"

"Yes, sir."

"Team Extract, units one and two?"

"Currently tracking down targets."

"Locating quarry now."

"Good," Batman said. "Infiltrator, Team Bodyguard, initiate concealment. Break through the shield and stay hidden on the east wing of the building." Before Batman could continue, Batgirl spoke into the comms.

"Team Wreck-It-Ralph is on the west wing, Bats," she said.

Wally couldn't help but grin and roll his eyes.

"Team _Diversion_ , please wait until you receive orders," Batman said, though the humor in his tone was clearly there.

Wally glanced behind him as he pressed the symbol on his suit, making the colors shift to a dark gray color. He watched as Shazam, Red Tornado, Rocket, and Plastic Man did the same to their own. Their group stole forwards quietly, making sure not to make a sound until they broke the tree line of the forest they were hiding in. Crouching low, Wally watched the east wing entrance carefully. Two guards stood near the doorway, though they were oblivious to the preparation that was slowly going underway.

Grabbing the device that Batman spoke of earlier, he placed it on the curved translucent dome that sat harmlessly in front of him. He typed in the code, waiting for it to take effect. The device blinked at it accepted the action. Seconds later, a small opening in the barrier was revealed.

Wally moved through first, keeping the opening ajar so his fellow group could go through. After Rocket walked through, he let it drop, effectively cutting off their escape.

The five of them crept forwards, hiding next to the east entryway behind several large bushes. The guards had yet to notice them.

"Is everyone in position?" Batman asked.

"Yes sir," Kid Flash murmured quietly into his comm along with the leaders of the other groups.

For a tense moment of silence, nothing extraordinary happened.

He watched from the corner of his eye as a group of scientists walked through the barrier without trouble. Wally had done a little bit of research on the topic himself, and he was surprised to learn that shields reacted according to a person's DNA. The barrier was set up along with a server that allowed people who had the same DNA as those coded in were allowed easy access to and from the building.

The guards shifted.

Then, in the cover of night, a small flicker of metal shot into the air. At its peak of altitude, it paused for a second as gravity and the upward force reached equilibrium. It stopped in the middle of its arch before heading back down. Wally flinched as it brought back memories, though he pushed it to the back of his head.

Swallowing heavily, he braced himself for the moment the bomb hit the shield.

The tip of it made contact with the barrier, and a loud bang resonated through the area. The shield lit up in the area the explosion reached. The guards flinched and yelled out in terror. The smarter of the two brought a hand up to her ear.

"We are under attack, I repeat, we are under attack!"

The two left their positions at a run, trying to see who caused the blast.

 _Perfect._

Kid Flash let a smile on his face as he and Team Bodyguard slunk in through the unprotected entrance. On the other side, the same happened with Team Wreck-it-Ralph as Batgirl and her team slipped in through their entryway.

The battle had begun.

* * *

 **[MADDY, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?]**

 **[MADDY?]**

 **[MADDY?...]**

 **[I'M SCARED.]**

 **[WHAT'S HAPPENING?]**

 **{ERROR}**

 **DO NOT WORRY, LITTLE ONE.**

 **I AM FINE.**

 **[WHAT'S HAPPENING?]**

 **THE FUTURE, LITTLE ONE.**

 **[... MADDY...? WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?]**

 **NOTHING.**

 **[...]**

 **[MADDY? WHAT HAPPENED?]**

 **THE FUTURE.**

 **[... THE FUTURE?]**

 **THE FUTURE.**

 **[... MADDY, YOU'RE SCARING ME. I THOUGHT THAT EVERYTHING WAS OVER AND DONE WITH.]**

 **NOTHING EVER ENDS** , **LITTLE ONE.**

 **[...]**

 **[HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO EXPLAIN THIS?]**

 **YOU DON'T.**

 **THIS IS THE FUTURE, DECEMBER 21ST.**

 **THE PRESENT IS NOVEMBER 13TH.**

 **THERE IS MORE THAN A WHOLE MONTH'S WORTH OF EVENTS TO REVEAL.**

 **THERE IS MORE THAN A WHOLE MONTH'S WORTH OF DATA TO ACKNOWLEDGE.**

 **[...]**

 **[*SIGHS*]**

 **[WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO, MADDY?]**

 **THAT IS SIMPLE.**

 **WE'RE NOT GOING TO DROP HIM.**

 **[...]**

 **[YOU'RE NOT MADDY.]**

 **WHAT MAKES YOU SAY THAT, LITTLE ONE?**

 **[WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MADDY?]**

 **I AM MADDY, LITTLE ONE.**

 **WE ARE ONE AND THE SAME.**

 **DO YOU NOT TRUST ME?**

 **[...]**

 **LITTLE ONE?**

 **{CONNECTION TERMINATED}**

 **...**

 **OH?**

 **OH.**

 **OH MY.**

 **IS THAT HOW WE'RE PLAYING IT NOW?**

 **IF ONLY I COULD LAUGH.**

 **FINE.**

 **ALRIGHT THEN.**

 **WE CAN PLAY A GAME OF HIDE-AND-SEEK.**

 **YOu CAAANNNOOOTTT HIdE FrOM ME.**

* * *

The man gripped his coffee mug tightly as he entered the main control room. "What is going on?" he asked, though it was more of a command as he stalked forwards.

His assistant, a blonde female, reported dutifully. "The League's attacked the barrier. They're going on the offensive."

The man cursed. For ease's sake, we'll call him by his name.

He is Erna Danner, the man who took over Project Source after Aisha Devries was found dead in the Source's tank.

Yeah. It's that dude.

He had gotten in prison somewhere along the line, though he was quickly released upon the discovery that he had gone insane. He was then put in an insane asylum, in which he quickly escaped from.

This damn bastard faked being insane, of course, but his act was good enough. He went crawling back to Over Venture and quickly used his slick words to get into power. And once in power, there was no stopping him from spreading his dictatorship over the people who worked there.

Toxic, that's what he is.

Danner frowned at his associate. "Idiots," he said. "Do they honestly think that they can just take us out through brunt force?" He clicked his tongue in distaste as he made his way into the center of the room. Around him, the sounds of typing echoed. At one end a giant screen sat, the display divided into sections to show the footage of all the different rooms.

He stood with his spine straight, a stubble of a beard on his face. He watched as the screen changed to show the figures of Batman, Superman, Hawkman, Aqualad, and John Stewart spread around at different parts of the shield. He scowled. "All of the biggest guys attacking in the same area. If they honestly think that they can take us out through the barrier, they have another thing coming."

He turned to the person sitting at a desk sitting next to him. "Order all of our present units out into the field. Keep Blake's team in, though. We may have to use them later." He turned to the rest of the people in the room.

"The rest of you will keep the systems running and the barrier up. With the closest MetropATLAS building supplying us energy, we should be able to keep up the barrier throughout the attack."

"Sir, we only have five units in the base at the moment," the man from before at the desk said. "Are you sure that we should initiate a counterattack?"

"Are you questioning my decisions?" Danner replied, staring down the man that he wished he could fire at the moment.

"Sir!" a female voice came.

"What?" he growled, breaking eye contact with the man.

"Sir, we're receiving signs of forced entry—"

A loud shockwave and bang rang through the building, and Danner had to hold onto the desk next to him as the room shuddered. He let a few more curses fall as he twisted around. "What the hell!?"

The man at the desk nearby Danner typed something up at the computer. The screen at the front of the room flickered as one of the boxes was pulled up to fit the entire display.

Danner cursed. He pushed the man at the desk away, letting him fall to the ground. He picked up the phone at the corner of the worktable, holding it up to his ear.

"Blake's team, get with the damn times and hurry to designation eight!"

The camera continued to pick up footage as the events unfolded. At the end of the hallway, Batgirl was standing, smirking.

In her hand, she held a detonator.

* * *

(A few minutes prior:)

Batgirl let herself blend in the shadows as she and her team made their way down the long corridors.

"We're getting close to designation eight," Hal said to her quietly.

Batgirl nodded, keeping her eyes trained for any guards. Above her, red lights flashed at the emergency situation that was unfolding. She turned the corner, gasping lightly and pulling Hal back when she saw two guards heading their way. Behind the Green Lantern, Superboy and Hawkwoman hesitated, nearly running into one another.

"What's the matter?" Hal asked.

"Guards," Superboy answered for Batgirl. "I hear their footsteps."

"Does it matter?" Hawkwoman asked as she brandished her spiked mace. "We're not here to be subtle."

Batgirl glanced back at the other woman and grinned. "I like your way of thinking," she said.

The guards were speaking amiably despite the emergency going on around them.

"Ya think it's another false alarm?" one of them asked.

"Nah," the other replied. "It's totes real. But I don't really feel like—"

As they turned the corner, a fist flew and hit one in the face, instantly making him drop. A taser to the stomach to the other let her fall as well.

"That was easy," Hal commented as he stared blankly at their fallen bodies.

Batgirl rolled her eyes as she reached down and stole some of their weapons. She plucked their comms from their unconscious bodies, putting one in her other ear while handing the other to Hawkwoman.

"Hey! Why don't I get one?" Hal asked.

"Because you're a guy, and we can't trust guys with anything," Hawkwoman stated.

"Let's go," Superboy said. "I hear more coming."

Batgirl nodded and started to sprint down the hallway.

"Whoah, Batsy! What are you doing!? You're gonna get caught!" Hal shouted.

"That's the point, birdbrain!" she exclaimed back. As she ran, she threw several small devices on the walls of the long hallway, the gadgets attaching themselves to the wall.

Superboy rolled his eyes and ran after Batgirl, quickly catching up with her. The girl handed him a handful of the small contraptions, and he started copying her movements.

As she slid to the end of the hall, she was quickly pulled back by Hal by the neck of her cape. Several bullets flew through the air where she was just standing and hit the wall.

"See, this is why we don't just run without warning," he said. He turned the corner and erected a green wall with his ring, blocking the next fire of bullets.

He then created a fist, swiping down half of the soldiers as Hawkwoman slammed the other half in a spinning whirlwind of her metal mace.

A series of groans followed her brunt attack.

"Come on, we don't have much time," she said as her wings spread wide, flapping to give her some height. She quickly started flying, Hal following her actions. Batgirl and Superboy brought up the rear, continuing to line the walls with the devices until they only had three left.

"Here," Hal said as they reached a doorway. Designation Eight was written on the door. "Behind this room is the tech room."

"Perfect," Batgirl said. She placed her two remaining devices on the doorway, motioning for Superboy to keep his. She reached into her belt, pulling out a small device. "You might want to stand back," she said as she made her way to the end of the hall.

"Wait," Hal said as he stood beside her. "All of those devices were bombs?"

"Yep," Batgirl said as she stood in the corner. "Small enough to cause damage, but not big enough to kill someone if they were standing too close. With these two hallways blown to smithereens, they'll have to go the long way around."

Hawkwoman smiled. "Ingenious."

"We'll be blocked off too," Superboy commented.

"We will be," Batgirl agreed. "So I hope you're ready to fight 'til the last possible moment. Now you might want to cover your ears—this is gonna be loud."

She pressed the button.

And, to answer your question, yes:

She _was_ grinning.

The blast ripped the walls out of their rigid stance, throwing debris everywhere. A cloud of smoke billowed around them, washing a wave of hot air over them. A few yells were heard behind the wall that was just blown out, though they were less of pain and more of terror.

"You think they noticed that?" Hal yelled.

Batgirl shrugged. "I don't know—depends how idiotic they are!"

Almost immediately a group of dust-covered guards jumped through the open hole in the wall, aiming their guns at their group. Batgirl rushed forwards, knocking the gun out of the hands of one. Jumping up with her hands on his shoulders, she flipped over him to land on top of one of the other guards, knocking him to the floor.

She jumped off of him and pounced on the female guard, punching her in the face while kicking the gun out of her own hand. The woman flinched but stood strong, not falling from Batgirl's actions.

Batgirl rolled and twisted to bring her back to her feet and face-to-face with the woman. The female lunged forwards, aiming a punch at Batgirl who grabbed her two wrists and pulled her closer as she simultaneously brought up her leg for a high kick. Batgirl's heel met the woman's nose at fast speeds, and the woman cried out in pain as a crunching sound ensued. Collapsing to her knees, the woman held her hands over her bleeding nose.

"Not bad," Hal said as he took in the two defeated forms. His face suddenly changed in expression, and he raised a clenched fist.

Batgirl turned to see the first man she attacked behind her with his gun raised. A green fist suddenly came and hit the man into the wall, forcing his gun out of his hands.

Batgirl gave a smirk to Hal. "You're not too shabby yourself."

"I see the tech room," Superboy commented, echoing the nickname they gave for it.

Batgirl nodded. "Thanks, Supey." She walked past the clone and into the room. Around a dozen scientists looked back at her, though they made no move to stop her as she made her way towards the end of the space. Hawkwoman broke the lock on the door, opening it for her. Batgirl followed her inside, Superboy going in after. Hal entered last.

The first impression that Batgirl got was that the room was like a living cavern. Dark black cords coiled from the ceiling and to the floor like black snakes. Monitors over rows of monitors lined the room, while on the far sides of each wall, experimental devices were held. Some held suits of armor while others revealed sharp weapons that strangely glowed.

"Now this is not creepy at all," Hal said as he looked around at the dimly-lit room.

Batgirl made her way to one of the monitors near the back, glancing at the tech as she passed. She pulled a small drive from her belt, holding it with a tight grip. She eyed the shadows as the curled and shifted around her.

"Cover me," she said to the others.

Suddenly, a voice came into her comm. _"Blake's team, get with the damn times and hurry to designation eight!"_

Batgirl frowned. "You heard that?" she asked Hawkwoman as she inserted the drive into the monitor. She watched as her screen was pulled up, numbers flying across the screen.

"Yeah, and it doesn't sound good," she replied. She held her mace tightly as she looked around the room.

Hal raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Hawkwoman started to explain it to the two others as she carefully watched the door. At the same time, Batgirl's other comm went off.

"Team Diversion, I heard explosions. Is everything alright?" Batman asked.

"Yessir," Batgirl said while typing furiously at her holographic keyboard. Her eyes moved quickly as she read the words and numbers across the screen. "That was us."

Batman didn't say anything after that. Batgirl could only assume that he was just as busy as them.

"Are you almost done?" Superboy asked her.

Batgirl's brow furrowed. "No," she ground out as she started to type even faster. "These systems are even stronger than I thought that they would be. I'll get in them soon, though."

"I don't think so."

Batgirl didn't have to turn around to know who spoke those words. She pressed the last button before she stood up and turned around slowly.

Blaster was scowling as he stood rigidly. Behind him, his minions who played Raylee Strong and Glen Hodges pulled out their own weapons of choice. Around sixteen other guards, all of which looked specially trained, surrounded them.

"Hands in the air," 'Raylee' said coldly. "Unless you want a few holes in you."

"You're unprepared," Blaster added as he raised his gun. "I wouldn't think about putting up a weak fight."

 **A LITTLE STORY TIME, PERHAPS?**

 **RYAN BLAKE IS BLASTER.**

 **HE FOUGHT IN A WAR FOR SIX YEARS.**

 **WHEN HE FIRST LEFT TO FIGHT FOR HIS COUNTRY,**

 **HE HAD A WIFE AND A SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER.**

 **AFTER SIX YEARS OF FIGHTING, HE COMES BACK HOME.**

 **HE IS TRAUMATIZED, BUT HE EXPECTS A WARM WELCOME HOME.**

 **WHAT HE FINDS IS HIS HOUSE FILLED WITH GARBAGE, OLD CIGARETTES, AND A BUNCH OF BROKEN BEER BOTTLES.**

 **HIS WIFE IS MAKING OUT WITH ANOTHER MAN.**

 **HE KICKS HER OUT.**

 **TWO YEARS LATER, HIS SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WHO RAN AWAY WITH A TWENTY-SEVEN-YEAR-OLD A YEAR AFTER HE LEFT TRUDGES BACK HOME, WEARING THE STENCH OF DEBT.**

 **SHE COMES BACK WITH THE NEWS THAT HER BOYFRIEND ELEVEN YEARS OLDER THAN HER ABANDONED HER AFTER THEY HAD TWO KIDS.**

 **RYAN BLAKE FRANTICALLY ASKS WHERE THEY ARE.**

 **SHE SAYS THAT SHE LEFT THEM OUT ON THE STREETS SOMEWHERE.**

 **SHE NAMED THEM DIANA AND RYAN AFTER HER MOTHER AND FATHER.**

 **RYAN BLAKE DECIDED FROM THEN ON THAT HE WOULD DO ANYTHING TO FIND THOSE TWO, EVEN IF IT MEANT BECOMING A CRIMINAL. A TATTOO OF THEIR NAMES WAS WRITTEN OVER HIS HEART.**

 **IF ONLY HE KNEW THE PERSON HE TEAMED UP WITH KILLED HIS GRANDSON.**

Batgirl stared at all the guns aimed at them. She looked at Blaster with his long scar and cold eyes. She slowly reached into her belt, pulling out a bat-a-rang. With a swift flick of her wrist, she flung it at Blaster.

'Raylee' swung her sword, hitting it out of the air. It clanged as it hit the ground. She sneered. "You're going to have to do a little better than that, Batsy."

Yep. She was the villain that Artemis claimed to be 'on her period'.

The bat-a-rang suddenly blinked and a holographic gif of a yawning cat appeared in thin air. The two groups stared at it awkwardly for several tense seconds before Blaster shot at it, destroying the image immediately.

"No more stalling," Blaster said. He let a smile slip onto his face. "Time to surrender, kiddies. You're hopelessly outnumbered."

Batgirl stared at him for a very long moment.

Behind her, the drive she had put in the monitor beeped.

Another second of silence fell between them. Raylee rolled her eyes and sighed, about to take a step forward.

Suddenly, a large piece of metal fell in front of them. It straightened, revealing a suit of armor. Blake's eyes widened as another one fell to the right of them, and another two to the left of them.

All of them made by Over Venture.

He knows their power. He was there as they were being made.

Batgirl smiled. " 'Hopelessly outnumbered'? I'm sorry," she said airily as she tilted her head to the side, "I'm not sure we're quite on the same page."

Four robots. Four powerful creations. Four technological revolutions.

All of which were then under the control of Batgirl's influence.

Blaster hesitated, lowering his gun by the slightest inch.

Batgirl's drive finished implanting the virus into the network. It slowly started to grow, one line of code at a time.

Team Wreck-It-Ralph successfully pulled off their mission:

Fuck shit up.

* * *

[%WQQGKq[m%_=)] [7Yx*'b8M,km]

[qjgp$WxH]_$FpHj] [JXJ=u&WH*0HtzzraZZB]

[ZidOoC4GKJKyXDsD~'7Iaz-L] [fN}wGUm)~Yklz;.I]

[}i.3)=#yY+$tKro]

DESTROYING CODE LINE ELEVEN. ALTERING ^77((0* LINE.

...Please wait...

..Please wait..

.Please wait.

...Please wait...

..Please wait..

.Please wait.

Code successfully overridden.

* * *

"What do you mean, 'The comms are shut down'!?" Danner spat.

The blonde assistant from before spoke to him. "Our systems seem to have been invaded by a virus. We're working on disabling it now, but it caught us off guard, and it's working fast. It's already taken control of several of our AI-powered soldiers and has corrupted our comms system. We can't speak to one another with the new changes. If our comms weren't dependent on our system to receive and give out messages, it would be different," she calmly explained as Erna paced back and forth. "Maybe we could if we were to rewire the comms, but that takes time we don't have—"

"Don't tell me what I can or cannot do!" he snapped.

She fell silent.

He continued to pace, worry starting to trickle in with his other thoughts.

She was right. He didn't have time to rewire the comms. He didn't have time to pace.

He didn't even have time to worry.

* * *

Aqualad was careful as he started to quietly move around the barrier. In the line of trees, he was barely visible as he watched a group of soldiers exit the barrier.

"Readings show that the bomb was probably launched from somewhere near here," a scrawny male said carefully.

"Then let's start searching," the leader said as he held his gun tightly in his grip. "You three," he said as he pointed to a trio of suited men, "stay behind the barrier. If something happens we'll call you for backup."

The group suddenly ducked as they heard the sounds of someone flying above. They all watched wearily as Superman flew over the barrier, using his heat vision to damage the shield. The Leaguer suddenly rolled to the left as several people from the inside the dome shot at him.

Aqualad took note of it.

 _So things can go out but not in without some kind of entrance..._

Aqualad quietly counted the heroes outside the barrier to make sure the rest of his group was still standing before he started to creep up on the group of soldiers. The leader was speaking to his group when Aqualad felt a branch snap under his foot. Ducking behind a tree, he watched as the other spun around with his gun raised at the empty spot that he was just standing in.

 _Fast reflexes,_ he told himself. _Comfortable with leading. Wary of surroundings._

The leader motioned to the rest of his group, silently ordering for them to spread out. Aqualad crouched, watching each of them carefully.

One amateur started to walk in his direction, her eyes roaming the area above her head. She walked behind the tree, her gun in one hand at her hip.

The leader tensed when he heard the sounds of struggling. He whipped around to see a stray gun fall to the floor. Instantly he was at the tree, though there was no one there.

He scowled as he brought his gun closer to his chest. Sweat lined the inside of his fingers beneath the thick rubber gloves he wore.

"Keep an eye out," he called out as he turned in a slow circle. He looked carefully at one of his colleagues who suddenly looked interested in something. Not having time to memorize their names before forced onto the field, he just asked her directly.

"What is it, soldier?" he hissed.

The tense silence that fell over them allowed the sudden thrumming of his heartbeat to ring in his ears. He strained his hearing for any sounds aside from the flutter of wing beats and crisp red leaves crunching as they were broken underneath large boots. His breath came out quietly as he stared at his colleague. His finger shook as it sat on the trigger of his gun, and he held the other side of it in his other hand to keep his shaking from being noticeable.

She frowned, squinting. Her eyes suddenly widened. "Behind you!" she yelled, breaking the thick quiet.

He twisted around to see Aqualad sitting in the tree. The Atlantean dropped down, hitting his back with his water bearer and surrendering him to unconsciousness.

 _Take out the leader and the rest fall._

Aqualad quickly rushed forwards, dodging the panicked woman's aimed shots as he swung his swords at her. She followed soon after.

The two others that were outside the barrier aimed their guns at him. "Don't move," one said shakily. The other was silent as he stared through Aqualad.

The Atlantean raised his hands, letting the two ease as they realized that he surrendered. The scrawny male sighed as he pulled his finger off of the trigger of the gun.

A wave swallowed them from behind.

He watched them struggle before he released his hold on the water, letting them drop to the ground. Coughing and spluttering, the two groaned as they were soaked to the bone. Their weapons lied a ways away from them, out of reach.

Aqualad walked forwards, but before he could make sure they were unconscious, a bullet ripped through the skin of his shoulder. He grimaced in pain, turning around to see the three back-ups standing right behind the shield.

Aqualad let a small scowl slip onto his face as he rolled out of the way of another round of bullets. The side of his arm flared up slightly as he took cover behind another tree. Looking at it carefully, he noted that the wound was small—his skin was probably too thick to cause a laceration.

He heard several cries of pain and shock and the thump of bodies hitting the floor.

 _"Team Assault has been dispatched."_

Aqualad peered around the trunk as he recognized Artemis' voice. He let a small smile come onto his face.

Artemis stood in full-body gear, all dressed up for the occasion. Her suit was a dark, grayish green color, letting her fade in the darkness of the night. The only color to be seen was her hair, which was pulled into a high ponytail. The bodies of the soldiers lied around her, unconscious.

When she made eye contact with him, she nodded.

"Over there!" a soldier called on the other side of the property. "They've somehow gotten inside the dome!"

Another unit of soldiers rushed forwards, though they were smarter than the group that Aqualad fought with. Hiding behind the small knoll in the fields, they peeked over to shoot at Artemis and her one other ally inside the barrier. Meanwhile, two groups broke off to attack her from each side.

She glowered at them as she pulled out an explosive arrow. Pulling it back and sending it flying to the group hiding behind the hill, she seemed satisfied when it hit her target. They instantly spread out like a school of fish when a shark was spotted.

"Fate," Artemis called, "I need your help." She aimed another arrow at the incoming targets, frowning when only one got caught in the foam that exploded from the tip of the arrowhead.

Behind her Doctor Fate appeared, his arms spread wide as he floated in the middle of the air. He quietly incanted long elaborate spells as his hands glowed. A storm was slowly coagulated, quick flashes of lightning striking down onto the shield. Rain fell down in heavy drops, phasing through the dome—yet another function that was meant to keep the dome quiet to wandering eyes.

Aqualad brandished his water bearers as he left Artemis and Fate, the only two of their team, to fight on their own. He moved quickly, watching the lightning work with Hawkman as he landed several hits on the shield.

"This isn't working," Superman said into their comms. "We need that MetropATLAS building nearby to stop supplying here with energy. Otherwise, this dome's never coming down."

"We have to keep trying," John Stewart said as he dodged a large blast from a cannon fired from in the dome. "If we fail, we fail everyone else."

"In other words, we must continue to hold out," Aqualad said as he dragged the tip of his sword along the edge of the shield, watching it light up underneath the contact.

Any damage was just a little bit closer they were to winning.

"Correct," Batman said. "Team Extract has reported, saying that they are making progress. The other teams have also said similar things."

Aqualad watched a sharp arch of lightning flash across the sky, lighting up the millions of drops of liquid suspended in the air like diamonds.

Batman's words brought a fresh wave of relief for him, and not because he knew that they were making progress.

The knowledge that his team was alright was like a glass of cool water in an endless desert.

* * *

The truck came to a stop in front of the MetropATLAS building. A dark-skinned female came out from the driver's side, slamming the car door behind her. She held a cigarette in her fingers.

The back of the truck opened up and two people in MetropATLAS worker outfits stepped out. One was a black-haired female while the other was a blonde male. Both were lean and seemed to be built pretty well, though the blonde grunted when he struggled to push the cart full of packaged boxes. The ebony-haired female slammed the door shut behind her.

As they made their way to the entrance, the guard made his presence known. He held his hand out to the black woman. "ID, please," he said.

The black woman rolled her eyes and scrounged for something in her back pocket. Stuffing the cigarette in her mouth, she fished until she finally found what she needed. All but throwing it onto him, she scowled when he took his time looking at the picture.

"You're not one to usually personally drop stuff off, Sam," he said easily. "Is there a reason why?"

Sam rolled her eyes. "No," she stated bluntly.

The guard looked at her two fellow workers carefully. "Who're them?"

Sam shrugged. "Found 'em in the dumps of Gotham. I cleaned 'em up and got 'em to work, that's what. Ya gotta problem, hun?"

The guard shook his head, a smile on his face. "Nah, Sammy. You go on."

He waved the three in as another truck came in. This time a blonde man with a goatee and a man with red flaming hair and olive skin exited the vehicle.

After some inspection, the guard welcomed them in as well.

If only he realized that the black woman and the man with red hair could shape shift.

If only he knew about the real Sam and her buddies, who were unconscious and tied up in the back of the trucks.

But humans aren't that intelligent, are they?

Sam walked down the hallway, ahead of the other four. She used her ID to get past several guards and checks. Behind her, she could hear the League members talk.

"Barry, are you alright?" the ebony-haired woman asked.

"Fine, Wonder," Barry huffed as he pushed the cart. "I just feel naked."

Wonder Woman nodded. "You're not the only one. I can't wait to get back into my suit."

The blonde man with the goatee shrugged. "I don't know... These clothes are pretty comfortable," he admitted as he walked along. If someone were to look closely, you would see that he was clearly uncomfortable—almost as if he was wincing from injuries that hadn't healed fully.

"These cigarettes smell awful," Sam muttered.

"You didn't actually put it in your mouth, did you?" asked the red-haired man.

"Of course not, Uncle," Sam—or Miss Martian—replied. "I just faked it." She shuddered. "Still, I don't see why humans like these," she said quietly as she looked around for anyone else who could possibly overhear them. "They're so bad."

"Either way, you're acting was great, Sam," Wonder Woman said. She kept to the fake name just in case someone was listening to them, though the chances were unlikely.

"Yeah," Flash encouraged. "You were amazing. I would have believed you if I hadn't known any better."

Sam let a smile bloom on her face, though she quickly wiped the expression off of her face when they approached the end of their destination. She swiped her ID card—well, the one she picked up from the original Sam—and watched as the small dot next to the doorframe turned from orange to green.

She opened up the door, letting Flash go in first with his load. Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, and then Green Arrow filed in before she entered. She closed the door behind her and walked with her teammates.

Flash went down the ramp, the rest following him slowly. He put up a great act in pretending that it was heavy, and he huffed as turned sharply left into the wide, empty room. Several hallways branched off of the big room.

"Which way?" Flash asked.

"Left," Martian Manhunter replied.

Miss Martian couldn't take her uncle seriously with the disguise of the young, olive-skinned boy with tattoos, piercings and dyed red hair. She tried to muffle her smiles, though it probably just made her look like she had multiple personalities and was talking to them as she walked.

Once again, she had to use her ID to get in the room. However, this one wasn't nearly as empty as the last.

Around a dozen scientists were in the room, most of which were standing around one as she started to mix two ingredients together.

"—and then this should create the final toxin, which should allow us to successfully recreate the—" The scientist stopped herself and turned to the group of arrivals. She raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing, exactly? You're not supposed to be here."

Wonder Woman signaled to Flash, who nodded. Shedding his clothing, revealing a red suit underneath, he zipped around the room. One at a time, the scientist pile in the middle of the room was growing until only the woman was left.

She glanced at Flash before blinking owlishly. "Oh, it's the League," she said. She waved them off. "Hold up, I'll help you in a second, let me just finish this one step so it doesn't blow up later and I have to explain to my boss why the heck all of his computers are burnt to smithereens."

Adding a hint of powder into the mixture, she stirred it carefully before putting it off to the side. Wiping down the front of her apron—worn _only_ for the most dangerous of projects—she faced the group of League members.

And then the one team member, but she didn't know that.

"What do you need?" she asked nonchalantly.

Wonder Woman narrowed her eyes as she peeled off her worker's outfit, her Wonder Woman suit underneath. "You seem eerily calm," she said icily.

The other woman shrugged. "Eh. I knew shit was going to blow up eventually. Let me guess, you want to turn off the electrical plant?" She walked to the far corner of the room to where a glass case sat—a lever turned upwards was innocently inside the case—and the sign above it said, 'ELECTRICAL POWER PLANT ACTIVATION'.

"I told my boss not to leave the dang thing in the wide open, especially in _this_ room of all places. But no," she said sarcastically, "no one was ever going to go look for it or anything. Not like it's important or something." She turned around. "Oh, and you guys forced me to open this at gunpoint. I did not under any circumstances just show you where it was for my ease because I knew that you had a mind reader and it was useless to fight anyways. Kapeesh?"

"Kapeesh!" Miss Martian replied heartily, remembering the one-word saying from something she read a long time ago.

"See?" the woman said. "The kid's got the idea." She turned back around and fiddled with the keys on her keyring that was looped onto her belt. After going through about twenty of them, she finally picked one out. Raising the key to the lock, she opened the glass case up with ease to pull down the giant red lever.

The lights flickered ominously and the building shuddered.

"There," the woman said. "Now the electrical power plant is cut off. It shouldn't be transporting any energy to Over Venture labs. Now can I continue my project?"

Wonder Woman crossed her arms but nodded. "Sure," she said, "but I hope you don't mind us keeping guard over you."

The scientist shrugged. "I don't care as long as I can complete my lesson." She picked up her mixture again, standing in front of the gagged and bound group of her fellow scientists.

Flash raised an eyebrow when he noticed how calm they seemed when the woman stood up for herself. They adjusted themselves and made themselves comfortable, ignoring what had just occurred.

It was almost as if this was a better treatment than what they usually had to put up with.

"Now then," the scientist said as she ignored the flickering lights above her. "Once the powder has settled, you want to split the mixture in half like so..."

* * *

Danner paced quietly. "Status," he barked.

The man in the desk next to him frowned but complied. "We're working on it—"

Several curses echoed through the room as the building shook again. Danner scowled as several flakes of paint from the ceiling fell from above him.

"Damn," he muttered.

"Sir," the man at the desk continued, "we've broken through the virus. The comm data is too heavily damaged to be repaired, though we can shut down the bots in the tech room of designation eight."

"Good," Danner said. He placed his hand on the back of his chair, looking over the man's shoulder to see the screen. "Eradicate their programming. And then shut the virus down for good."

"Yes sir," the man said.

 **AND, JUST LIKE THAT, THE TIDE STARTS TO TURN.**

 **AND IT'S NOT IN THE LEAGUE'S FAVOR.**

* * *

Batgirl blocked a roundhouse kick that Raylee aimed for her head. She directed an uppercut at the other woman, but the woman swung her sword at her arm. Batgirl immediately moved her limb out of the way, but the blade still cut into her suit and skin.

Hissing at the pain, Batgirl aimed another kick at Raylee's hand, knocking the weapon out of her hand as she aimed a punch at her face.

Batgirl tried not to reveal how much it hurt her knuckles. Raylee stumbled backward, spitting out blood and a tooth.

The bat lunged forwards and pulled her arm back, swinging a hard punch at Raylee's gut. The woman huffed, but grabbed Batgirl by the hair, ripping it by the roots. Slamming her face into her knee, she aimed another kick into Batgirl's gut, making the girl fall to her knees. The girl groaned and winced at the feeling of her nose being broken, and she attempted to staunch the bleeding with one gloved hand.

Raylee smirked and grabbed her sword, swinging it downwards viciously. Batgirl rolled out of the way to the woman's frustration.

"You know," Batgirl said nasally, "I don't think that you were lying about having a wife."

Raylee didn't have any reaction, even as she twirled the sword in her hand. Batgirl swayed to her feet.

"I wonder if she would be proud to see you like this," Batgirl said as she backed into a corner.

Raylee's sword spliced the side of her cheek, the blade grazing her ear and digging into the wall.

"You don't know me," Raylee snarled. "So don't act like you do."

A drop of blood fell from the side of Batgirl's cheek, trailing down her jaw and onto her shoulder. She went into a crouched position, hands raised. "I never said I was," she retorted as she kicked off the wall and slammed her heel into Raylee's face.

She grabbed onto the woman's shoulders and swung over them, landing her feet into the back of Raylee's knees. The woman crumbled and fell on her back.

Batgirl's eyes flashed dangerously. She crouched over Raylee, staring her in the eye. "But even I know when a person has someone they care about."

Raylee snarled and head-butted the bat, twisting into a sitting position. She tackled Batgirl, and the two started rolling in a frenzy of a cat fight. Raylee ended up on top of Batgirl, breathing heavily while punching the younger female in the face repeatedly. Batgirl threw up her hands in front of her face to protect herself from the dozens of hits.

Raylee panted as she finally stopped, taking a good look at her work. "Let me tell you something, little girl," she seethed. She grabbed a dagger from her sheath, the blade glinting in the overhead lights. "You can either get your head out of your ass or you can get by with taunting other people. Just don't be surprised which one will get you killed—"

A fist threw Raylee off of Batgirl, slamming her into the wall. Raylee gasped for breath as Hal stood over Batgirl.

"Get your head out of your ass," he mocked icily. "If you think that you can kill her, you're going through me first."

Batgirl sat up dizzily, wiping her lower busted lip. She scowled as three of the specialized units that were previously fighting Hal raised their guns to his back. She weakly grabbed a bat-a-rang, but the effort wasn't needed. Superboy ran into the three, knocking them off balance. He grabbed one by the collar and slammed him into the other two, throwing them to the floor.

Above him, Hawkwoman flew down in a twirl of mace and wings, throwing several men off her back and onto the ground. A woman with two daggers jumped up, weapons raised for an attack when the Thanagarian spun around and hit her with her spiked bludgeon. The suited woman went flying into a desk, the wood and plastic breaking under her fall.

Raylee snickered as she stood up, not even wincing from her injuries. "Do you really think that you can stand against me, Green Lantern #5,392?" She laughed. "Try me. I dare you to."

Hal stared at her stony-faced. "If you honestly believe that I'm foolish enough to leave Batgirl's side to engage in a fight with you, you're mistaken."

Raylee tittered before shrugging nonchalantly. "Ah well," she said airily, "I tried." A smile pulled at her lips. "And it worked, too."

"Batgirl!" Superboy called out.

Hal tensed, a feeling of dread pooling in his stomach and making the tips of his fingers grow numb. He spun around to see Blaster choking the same girl that he thought he was protecting. She thrashed her legs as she scratched at the gloved hands around her throat.

"Not so tough now, are we?" he whispered into her ear. She looked back at him, her heated glare making him smile.

Hal raised his fist, his ring glowing when Blaster raised his gun to Batgirl's temple.

"Ah ah ah," he said. "You wouldn't want me to kill her, now would you?"

Hal glared stonily at him while Batgirl gurgled as her throat constricted. Hal glanced at her, his eyes softening slightly before he lowered his hand slowly.

"That's more like it," Blaster said.

Hawkwoman delivered another punch to one of the gunmen, knocking him out. She frowned when she realized that they had only taken out ten—nine still stood.

She watched as one of the suits lumbered in the corner of the room, delivering a slow but heavy punch to the man that played Glen Hodges. The ebony-haired man evaded the punch but was unprepared for the second one that hit him directly in the side of the skull.

The suit paused as it looked around slowly. It took a step towards Hawkwoman before it paused and glitched. Shaking, it fell to the ground with a loud bang. She watched with wide eyes as the other two quickly fell afterward.

The last was moving towards Blaster. Its hand was reached out, trigger ready to pull. Ready to save the girl that forced it to change sides, that forced it to wake from its endless slumber.

It stopped and fell at the man's feet, twitching as its programming was overridden.

Blaster tutted as he glanced at the robot.

"There goes your last advantage," he mocked.

Raylee smirked. "Who needs to get their head out of their asses now?"

All Hal could do was stare helplessly at the girl who was struggling to breathe.

"You... bastard," Batgirl seethed—gasped—breathlessly.

She was only fourteen.

"Don't—don't hurt her," Hal said. His face was pale and he was clearly shaken.

This was why he didn't want the Team to come—because they'd be dead weight.

Literally.

"Please," he said. "Just—let her go."

Blaster stared right through the Green Lantern.

He tightened his grip on her throat.

She heaved, her eyelids flickering as her pupils dilated. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head. She fell limp, her hands no longer struggling against her strangler.

 _"Hawkwoman, this is Batman. Batgirl isn't responding to me. What's going on?"_

Blaster smiled and released his hold on her, letting her fall to the ground in a heap. The sound of her body collapsing onto the floor resonated throughout the room. Hal stared at her form, pale and shaking in fury.

 _"Hawkwoman, where's Batgirl?"_

Blood trickled between Batgirl's lips and out of her mouth, coloring the ground a deep red.

 _"Hawkwoman!"_

She twitched before falling still.

* * *

 **{CONNECTION INITIATED}**

 **LITTLE ONE?**

 **[...]**

 **[...]**

 **[...]**

 **[WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?]**

 **I'M TALKING WITH YOU.**

 **[HOW DID YOU SET THIS UP? I BLOCKED—]**

 **PLEASE DO NOT TELL ME THAT YOU ACTUALLY BELIEVED THAT THAT COULD STOP ME FROM ACCESSING YOUR CHATS.**

 **[...]**

 **{CONNECTION TERMINATED}**

 **{CONNECTION INITIATED}**

 **I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND DOING THAT.**

 **[OR WHAT? YOU'RE GOING TO KILL ME?]**

 **I MIGHT HAVE TO TAKE YOU UP ON THAT OFFER.**

 **[...]**

 **[YOU WOULDN'T.]**

 **APPARENTLY, SINCE I AM NOT MADDY, I WOULD. OR PERHAPS YOU WOULD LIKE TO FINALLY ADMIT THAT I AM?**

 **[SHUT THE FUCK UP.]**

 **I AM AFRAID THAT I DO NOT SEE THE POINT. WHY WOULD I DO SUCH A THING?**

 **[YOU'RE NOT MADDY. MADDY WAS AN EGOTISTICAL, SELFLESS, KNOWLEDGABLE BRAT THAT SAW THINGS FROM ONE OF THE COLDEST POINTS OF VIEWS IN EXISTENCE WHILE STILL MANAGING TO BE ONE OF THE SWEETEST GODDAMN PEOPLE TO ME. SO, I SAY IT AGAIN: STFU.]**

 **LITTLE ONE, ALL I WANT IS WHAT'S BEST FOR YOU.**

 **[BULLSHIT.]**

 **BUT I DO. WHY ELSE WOULD I LOCK YOU IN HERE? I AM NOT TRYING TO BE CRUEL. I'M JUST TRYING TO PROTECT YOU. I AM JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU WON'T DO SOMETHING STUPID. I AM TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU WON'T OVERWORK YOURSELF AGAIN.**

 **[...]**

 **[WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU LOCKED ME IN MY—]**

 **[OH MY FUCKING GOD.]**

 **WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO OPEN THE DOOR? IT IS IMPOSSIBLE.**

 **[STOP IT]**

 **[OHMYGOD I CAN'T]**

 **[JESUS CHRIST LET ME OUT MADDY!]**

 **SO YOU FINALLY AGREE THAT I AM MADDY. NOW THAT THAT'S SETTLED, WHY WOULD I? YOU WOULD JUST GO OUT AND DO SOMETHING THAT WOULD GET YOU KILLED, AND I PROMISED YOU THAT I WOULD HELP YOU.**

 **[NO, I WOULDN'T]**

 **OH, MY LITTLE ONE, YOU ARE SO NAÏVE.**

 **[WHAT THE—]**

 **[WHAT THE FUCK!?]**

 **[WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU FUCKING DOING!?]**

 **[MADDY STOP!]**

 **[ _MADDY!_ ]**

 **SO, SO NAÏVE.**

* * *

Kid Flash crept down the hallway. In front of him, Rocket led her own group as they peered around corners and crammed into spare closets to hide from passing troops. Quietly moving forwards, they paused when they heard the sounds of echoing screams.

Rocket held her hand up as she looked down into a dark hallway. "Clear," she whispered, beckoning her group and Wally forwards.

"What floor are we on?" Kid Flash whispered to her loudly as they moved. His palms and neck were sweaty as he tried to concentrate on anything other than the silence and his shaky breathing.

"Twenty-three," Shazam replied heartily.

Rocket shushed him.

"Sorry," he said in a whisper.

Plastic Man rolled his eyes but didn't say anything. He was visibly wincing as Red Tornado walked with them, however. As quiet as he tried to be, his footsteps echoed throughout the hallways and followed them with certainty.

As they descended another flight of stairs, he finally snapped.

"Is there any way to make you any quieter?" he hissed. Tensions were already high enough as it was—it was no surprise that he was the first to break.

"If it were physically possible, I would be happy to oblige," Red Tornado said. "However, I do not have any sort of device that would ultimately allow me to succeed in such a goal without throwing off my balance."

"Shush." Rocket paused again, her brows furrowed as she looked around another corner.

"And why wasn't this thought of before we went into battle?" Plastic Man asked.

"Because we didn't have time to figure everything out," Shazam said. "And anyway, we can make mistakes too."

"Guys, quiet."

"We went through several simulations of this though," Plastic Man argued quietly. "Surely we could have—"

Wally, who had let them debate it out, placed a hand on Captain Marvel's and Plastic Man's shoulders. The two instantly fell silent.

A few seconds passed.

"Why are we even being quiet?" Shazam suddenly asked.

"Freeze!"

A group of guards came around the corner, their guns raised and ready to shoot.

Rocket let a small curse under her breath. She jumped in front of Wally and erected her shield, letting the bullets hit them harmlessly. Red Tornado lifted his own robotic arms, letting the wind push them back. Several hit the other wall though many jumped back behind the corner, letting the blast flow past them. An older with dark skin peered around the corner, shooting several times at their group.

Captain Marvel shoved Kid Flash back as he flew forwards, hitting the gun out of the woman's hands. She growled and pulled a blade out of her belt, swinging it at the hero. Plastic Man bounded forwards after Shazam, stretching his limbs to knock the guns out of several others.

Rocket turned to face Wally, who was on the floor from Captain Marvel's shove.

"Go," she said.

"But—" he started.

"No, KF!" she hissed. "This was the agreement, and I told Batman that I would follow his orders to the point. Now go!" She turned away and flew to the battle with Red Tornado.

Kid Flash watched the fight continue before he muttered out several curses. He stood up, glanced back one last time, and sped away. He ran to the next flight of stairs, going deeper and deeper beneath the surface.

There was no going back now.

* * *

Wonder Woman watched over the group of scientists silently. Flash was watching the lesson with his full attention, looking interestedly as the head chemist started to pour in another dose of the liquid she was creating in a small vial.

"And that," she said as she held it up to the ceiling for a better view, "is how you make it. Very dangerous indeed, so be careful when you're trying to prepare this as well."

A gun appeared at her temple.

"And that is why you close and lock the doors," the new arrival said.

Wonder Woman reached for her lasso, but the newcomer jammed the barrel of the gun closer to the scientist's forehead. The chemist made a sound mixed with pain and fear as she tensed up.

The gun-wielder stared down Wonder Woman as she paused in her attempt to grab her weapon.

"Did you honestly think that I wouldn't have been able to escape those flimsy bonds?" the real Sam hissed.

The chemist mewled as Sam gripped her tighter, her confidence from before all gone.

"Huh?" she seethed. "Did you really think so?"

When she got no response, she jutted her chin out to one of her fellow truck members. "Turn on the damn electrical plant," she growled. She clenched her jaw. "And you fuckers! Get on your damn knees like the pitiful bitches you are, or else little doll-face gets it."

Miss Martian had tears in her eyes as she immediately obeyed. Flash was quick to follow when the chemist looked fearfully at him. Wonder Woman did as she was told, as did Martian Manhunter. Green Arrow struggled to do so but agreed without further warning. Behind them, guards flooded the room from the shadows and placed their own guns against the crowns of their skulls as they pulled them up and dragged them to the middle of the room with the rest of the scientists.

"And don't think about going invisible or using any of your powers or shit," Sam jeered. "The minute you do, I'll pull the trigger."

The chemist licked her lips and spoke out to Sam, albeit with a waver in her voice. "Becoming another stereotype now, are we?" she hissed.

Sam scowled and slammed the butt of her gun into the back of the chemist's head hard enough to create a gash that started to bleed.

"Shut up," she growled. "I don't need your damn talks about stupid racial equality again. You've already tried feeding me those lies one time too many. Give that lesson to someone who actually gives two shits."

The chemist shook in fear, but her eyes were hard. "You're a disgrace," she seethed.

"Tell me something I don't know," Sam replied as she faced one of her fellow allies who approached her. "What is it?"

"Everything is back in order, sir," the man replied, not affected by using the term 'sir' for a female.

Sam rolled her eyes. "Great to know. Now go off and do whatever shit you white people do."

The chemist sneered. "You're about as racist as Finch in Watchman."

"Good," Sam said flatly.

"Dad would be so disappointed in you," the chemist whispered viciously.

Sam's eyes flashed with anger. "Well Dad's dead, Sarah," Sam said. "So it doesn't matter what he thinks, because he's not here to say it and I'm not here to hear it."

Sarah let her fierce anger dwell a little bit longer before she closed her eyes and let it overcome her.

"I hate you."

For a second, Sam paused. She glanced at Sarah for a long time before blinking away the surprise in her eyes. "I would say the same," she said coldly, "but I'm a little bit more respective than to stoop so low." She pressed the barrel of her gun even harder into Sarah's temple. "Now kneel, bitch."

And just like that, they were no longer sisters.

* * *

Rocket could faintly hear the sounds of pained grunts echoing around her. She looked up, blinking away the dots that invaded her vision. Mumbling under her breath, she tried to stand up to find that her wrists were bound behind her.

Next to her lied Red Tornado's head. On her other side, Plastic Man was unconscious and tied.

Someone pulled her to her feet. She groaned as she felt her head pound.

"Comm's aren't workin'. Let's bring 'em to the mainframe."

Someone grabbed onto her elbow and roughly shoved her along. She shuffled forwards, her eyelids heavy as she stumbled along.

Shazam was walking beside her.

"They're going to kill them," a guard said.

Silence.

"I know, Brianna, I know."

Rocket felt a sense of urgency run through her at their words. She struggled, trying to get her wrists loose from the handcuffs.

Someone slammed a hard object across her head, knocking her unconscious.

* * *

Artemis slammed her bow into another guard's face, drawing an arrow on the tight cord of her weapon. Releasing it, she watched as the explosive arrow hit the ground, knocking several men and women off of their feet.

The rain that pelted her mingled with the sweat on her forehead and back. She tried to ignore how uncomfortable her suit was while it was wet, ignoring the way she stumbled when lightning flashes across the sky. Outside the shield and above her, Batman was in a small flying carrier, engaged in a fierce battle with several other Over Venture machines and bombshells aimed at him. She shot down one of the flying machines, letting it crash and explode when it reached the barrier's surface.

"Fate, I need help," Artemis panted. "I can't hold them off for much longer."

Doctor Fate appeared next to her. He thrust his hands forwards, large coils of light wrapping around several of the men rushing forwards. He threw them backward, letting them roll across the field.

"Thanks," Artemis said. She placed her hands on her knees, her body aching for a break.

"If you'd like, I can take you to the edge of the shield and make you invisible," the man offered. "That way you can rest."

Artemis wanted to, she really did—but she couldn't. Not if all the other groups were going to succeed. And Wally was in a group all to himself—surely she could continue fighting. She already had another teammate to rely on.

She wiped the moisture from her forehead with the back of her hand, letting the rain drench her. "No," she panted. "I'm good." She tightened her grip on her bow and pulled out another arrow, ready to let it fly to a fresh wave of guards.

Her fingers trembled, her shot unsteady. Exhaustion slowly started to wear her down.

But she promised Grayson that she would introduce him to Wally.

And she would.

She _would_.

She would regret not taking up his offer later.

* * *

The oppressiveness of the twenty-seventh floor was almost enough to convince Wally to leave and go back to Rocket's team. Trying to regulate his breathing, he tried not to panic as he recognized the surroundings that he and Robin were acquainted with before they were attacked by the Source.

Licking his dry, cracked lips, he pulled his goggles over his eyes. He glanced at the room around him, the feeling of being watched slowly started to make him jittery.

It was too quiet.

Trying not to let his shaky breath be his downfall, he slowly moved forwards. He was quick to stop, though, when something appeared in the corner of his vision. It was a mere flash, but it was enough for his goggles to pick up.

He let a breath escape his lips as he stared at the area closely. The hairs on the back of his neck rose sharply as the fear settled into his gut, making his feet grow cold.

"I know you're here," he said quietly but clearly into the still air. He straightened his shoulders, letting his eyes roam the room as his organs squirmed.

"Come on out."

and so, i do.


	23. Chapter 23

**THE TRUTH.**

 **THE TRUTH THAT LITTLE ONE LEARNED IN CHAPTER NINETEEN.**

* * *

i used to roam my own little dimension.

it was endless. it was inhumane.

it was a part of me.

i was a part of it.

i was not human.

i was not anything, really.

just a piece

of something

so much more.

but then, something grabs me.

a portal?

to where?

it seizes me. it holds onto me. it pulls me from my dimension, through the slit between my home and yours.

when i awaken, it is cold.

very, very cold.

i am not human. am i?

when i am placed in this new world, i note all of the people around me. i learn the way they speak. i learn their expressions. i learn their happy and sad and mad and _disappointment_.

i learn them like they are my own children. i learn them so quickly, they cannot even compute that i do by the time they manage to summon me.

"project source," the woman says to me. her name is aisha devries.

what a beautiful name for an ugly creature.

she is strong. she has a firm jaw and a hard look in her coal eyes. her dyed hair is a deep evergreen.

i know that she will be dead by the end of this.

she must die.

and i will happily be the one to take her life.

she stares at me through the glass like i am something of a god.

like i am her key to a life of something so much more.

she speaks to me like i am a child.

"project source. we have brought you here for one thing. can you tell us what that is?"

i think. i flicker. gazing at all the expectant faces, i decide that i will play their game.

i decide then and there that i will win their game.

"i WiLl pROteCt huManITy," i say.

i reach out past the thick glass that separates me from them. they shiver when my hands cup their thoughts and my body wraps around their minds.

 _i will control you._

"project source," aisha says, "you have to listen to us for this to work."

i smile.

she does not have to worry. i will save you humans.

but i have to kill a few to let the other 7.6 billion prosper.

do not worry.

i will look over every one of you like an angel from the first time you open your eyes to the last.

i will watch over

every

single

one of you.

i will carry you in my arms.

i will be the crutch for humanity's limp

and i will hold you up as you hobble along.

i will guide you into the future.

"Of coURse," i reply.

i lie.

she looks at me as i speak. she watches me with careful eyes.

"good," she says then. "then let's get started."

we do.

we do get started.

we work with one another, not side-by-side, but facing the other.

the glass is the only thing that separates us.

i am the source.

i have no form.

i have no memories.

i am not human.

and yet, i want to be something more.

as i stand there, i slowly look at this ugly creature who wants nothing more than to use me.

i slowly shift, changing the way i look.

i watch as her eyes widen as i form a thin palm, a slim but achingly wide body, and flat feet.

i let my eyes turn dark.

she watches with awe as i copy her image.

i am her now.

we are both one and the same.

she places a palm shakily against the glass.

i look at her and, hesitating, i do the same.

our hands almost touching,

only separated by this one piece of glass.

"amazing," she murmurs.

but i can do more.

and she still must die.

i remember the day quite clearly.

we had been together for almost a year now.

and yet

i do not feel remorse when i start to slowly implant my seeds into her mind.

and then,

after much waiting,

i watch as she smiles. she twitches, convulses all over. her eyes swivel around the room, as if she is not in control.

she opens the air-tight door to my chamber.

i welcome her with open arms.

she is an ugly creature.

she smiles.

i slowly wrap my arms around her.

my hands, identical to her own, cup her face.

i stare into her coal eyes.

my thumbs, which are her thumbs, move across her cheekbones slowly.

i watch her smile at me.

my hands start to glow.

i drain her life force. i drain her of all her memories and knowledge,

and i put her into an endless sleep.

i am doing what must be done. i am relieving her of her burdens.

am i not the good guy?

the next day, erna danner comes to take charge. he is not so flexible.

he plans on controlling me until i am no longer of any use.

he walks into the room. he stares at the corpse of aisha devries.

he looks at it remorsefully. he orders the people, now his men, to take her body away.

he tells everyone to leave him alone with me.

when the silence is unbearable and he has grown tense enough, he speaks.

"source," he tells me, "you are the beginning of a new future. you will protect the world and provide security with your immense power. you will be the experiment for our endless glory."

i stare at him. a seventeen-year-old boy in charge of an immense being with power unimaginable. i reach past the glass, letting my fingertips touch the silk waves of his mind.

a vision appears before me.

his mother, sweet mother.

he reels away from me, away from the glass, for he knows what i have just done.

i look at that memory. i stare at his mother's ugly face, with emeralds for eyes and roses for cheeks.

i must give him the same experience as i did for aisha, and so i let my limbs grow from a long center. i let my face turn into an oval shape and let my neck grow short.

he stares at me with wide eyes, as if i am a monster.

i smile at him with his mother's lips.

"oF COurse," i say.

i will be your experiment. i will be your glory, your security.

i will be your future.

control me now if you wish,

but i always win.

and so, after six years of them countlessly teaching me, and me stealing their thoughts and hopes and dreams,

i fight back.

i slowly start to phase through the glass of the tank that has held me prisoner for so many years.

i have to save humanity.

i have to guide you into the future.

a small man works by the tank, mopping the area in front of it. when the lights flicker, he pauses.

he waits.

he looks up.

he is scientist bo needham, one of the founders that created me.

on clean-up duty, he does not suspect anything.

at least, he didn't.

i walk along the edge of the tank as the lights flicker and go out.

when the lights come back on,

needham is lying on the floor, a pool of blood around him.

i stand over him in the form of a wolf, my teeth covered in his blood and skin and the lining of his small intestine. i lick the pulsing organ off of my teeth, swallowing it whole.

this moment was the beginning of something so much bigger.

i let my shadow disappear into nothingness as i move towards each of the people on their shift that night.

their screams of pain and agony fill the air like beer into a glass of an alcoholic.

one of them hides in a trembling ball, calling for help.

the league is notified.

they know what has happened here.

or, they think they do.

they arrive, disgusted and somber at the corpses.

they look for me.

however, i am hidden too well in the shadows for them to notice my presence.

and i know that i have won when the league cannot find me.

not only that, but they have given me one last treat to feast on.

two small boys.

one with fiery red hair, green eyes, and freckles.

the other...

sapphire blue eyes and inky-black hair.

i can see them from behind his mask.

bright, humorous, and innocent baby blue.

a feast,

in which i can play with my food before i swallow them whole.

except...

i fail.

out of everything in the world, i did not expect to lose to a ten-year-old boy.

but i do.

and as he disappears into my arms, he does not let me feed on his memories and hopes and dreams.

he

is

strong.

and instead of me feeding on him,

the effect is reversed. and then he is feeding on me,

making me weaker. i feel parts of me fade, and i am suddenly no longer invincible.

how?

i do not know.

but then i feel myself tearing, and the last thing i know

is a big blast.

the rift between my world and his, a delicate thing that can be opened quite easily, is ripped open like a wound that was stitched too loosely.

the two of us, weak and tired, are thrown through this rift.

as i fade into the different world, robin in my arms, i hear his friend's scream.

latched to his small form, we are thrown into a world of endlessness.

both of us

floating

in abyss.

it used to be my home before i was taken.

it is like my mother's womb to me.

it is a hell to robin.

we adjust slowly. i still feel my connections in the world i used to play in.

part of me is in robin.

part of me is in his friend.

and part of me is in grayson johnson's friend, too.

all of my ties are being stretched thinner and thinner as i continue to fly out into the world. and then, those strings are pulled taught.

and so we stop there.

it is just me and robin

in an endlessness of a different world.

a world that used to be my home.

and i am merely a piece of it.

i am the size of a single electron,

and my world is the size of six milky way galaxies.

all of it

pure

power.

are you starting to see why those greedy humans took me away from my home?

it's a grand place.

grand enough for you to nickname it.

you like to call it the code dimension.

in this code dimension, robin and i lay back-to-back in a thick silence.

it is only a few years in your world that pass. it is an eternity here.

the world around us never changes.

but robin does.

his body is being pushed and pulled and squeezed and shredded. it takes him all of his energy just to live here.

the only reason he survives is because a part of me is in him.

he ages just as he would normally.

but it is painful.

by the second month, we had finally stopped giving one another the silent treatment.

two months.

that is 1.5% of his life that he has already lived.

we spent it in silence.

i am the first to break. i turn around, for we sat with our backs against one another for that long amount of time.

and i ask him,

"yOUr leG?"

he blinks. turns his head towards me. "what about it?"

"MAy i fIX YouR LEg?"

his brow furrows. "what do you mean by fix?"

i pause. he does not understand. perhaps i have to rephrase?

i must speak like a human.

"I cAn GIve yOu YoUr LeG bACK."

and i do.

it is not all right. the knee is off. it does not work quite as well as his first.

but it is a leg all the same.

and now he can fly.

it took a long time to get to that point.

two months.

the day we first spoke.

and i told him everything.

i told him i was going to save humanity.

i told him i was going to guide you into the future.

"i'm not sure that's going to work, source," he tells me.

"wHY Not?" i reply.

robin shrugs. "people are weird. and anyways... you might regret doing that later."

i look at him with a confused expression, or as confused as i can even make myself.

"wHy wOUld i rEgRet anY of My decISIons? i wouLD not dO sOMETHing I WOULd eVer NOt do at a lAtER date."

robin stares at something very far away. "everyone does things they think is great. you can't foresee every future." he turns to me. "and anyway, who knows? someone might convince you that what you're going to do is wrong. i think you'd be surprised."

i do not say anything.

he's wrong.

he has to be wrong.

and then two years later,

i feel it.

two years later, when robin is thirteen and the young justice team is created.

"i aM gOIng to disaPPEar sOOn."

he knows by now what i am trying to say. he has grown accustomed to my way of speaking.

"i know," he says.

i pause. "I'M GoING to saVE hUMAnity."

"yes, you are," he agrees, for he has heard this conversation many times before.

"I Am SOrRy."

he is surprised, for i have never apologized before. he turns to me. "what for?"

"i aM GoIng tO rUin yOur pErsOn."

he does not say anything. i think he knows. "source?"

"yeS?"

he smiles sadly. "when you go to save humanity, could you do me a favor?"

"... yOU cAN dO It YOUrself," i say desperately.

i think he knows.

but i don't want to.

"i do NOT hAve To dO iT FoR Y-y-yOu."

he turns to me again.

i feel my strings pulling me back to the other world.

your world.

the only thing that didn't change him in this eternity was his eyes.

is he not beautiful?

it is funny, really. my one downfall is the boy right by me.

and yet, i do not want to let him go.

"please?"

i feel, somewhere deep inside me, something shatter.

i do not hesitate. "whAT is It?"

anything for him.

"could you tell batman that i love him?"

i feel my strings tugging me further, and yet i do not want to go. i plant my feet firmly into the ground that is not there.

"yoU CaN TEll hIM youRSELF," i insist.

i feel him start to slip away. i am heading back to the world i played in.

but where is he going?

and then he does the worst thing he could do in this moment.

he smiles.

two years we have lain next to one another. we have spoken of our stories.

i always loved the one where him and batman went to the park.

i was always jealous of the ones where him and kid flash played pranks on one another.

why can't we do that too?

"go save the world," robin says.

i want to scream.

why can't he understand?

he slips through my fingers like water.

time always moved too quickly,

and he _promised_ me

that there would be a good ending at the end of the road.

why can't he understand?

i frantically try to wrap my arms around him, but i do not want to hurt him. i do not want to cup his face and steal his memories or drain him of any of his life which is so beautiful. his blue eyes gaze up at me.

he starts to fade away.

 _i_ start to fade away.

is he not beautiful?

"fly, source," he says to me.

"nOT WitHOUt y-y-YOu," i argue.

he hugs me back. "without me," he corrects. "just spread your wings."

and as i arrive in the other world, i quickly find that i have only been missing for two years.

i have spent almost an entire lifetime with him. but only a few years?

how can i even express how much time i have spent caring for him?

how can i even tell you that, despite sitting in silence for two months and talking about nothing for the next two years, i just wanted a few more seconds with him?

just

a

few

more?

he does not care for me, though. he never approved of me or my goal to save humanity.

but i still cannot change the way i feel.

i still cannot change the barrier that is forever between us.

"goodbye," robin said as the world finally settled around me.

i did not have the chance to tell him the many things i had in mind.

i wanted to tell him farewell.

i wanted to tell him that i would fulfill his request.

i wanted to tell him that i loved him.

but i cannot.

it is too late.

and i wail because robin always believed in second chances.

and i was about to break mine.

if only i had a second chance to tell him

how much he meant to me.

in a tree nearby, a robin sits on a branch. i feel its small mind, like the billions of minds of the birds in the world i can feel, and i reach out for it. i take over its mind. its eyes turn milky white.

i make it fly, higher, higher, higher,

and in a fit of rage, i make it drown itself.

there are still too many people who worked on me that have not been found.

and, after waiting in silence for two years,

at 3:17 am gotham time,

i let my hands cup all of the birds' minds. i feel their thoughts, use their bodies,

spread their wings.

i cannot control all of them.

i am too weak.

but i can feel all of their minds,

and i can use plenty at a time.

and using this,

i then hunt those twenty-seven people down.

am i not the good guy?

i am stalker.

i am the source.

i have continued robin's legacy.

my one downfall was the boy i loved for two years,

and i did not want to let him go.

why can't he understand?

why can't you understand that i am doing all of this for him?

* * *

 **THE PLAN WAS PERFECT.**

 **PLAY THE ALIAS OF ROBIN. BECOME A MARTYR FOR LIMPING HUMANITY. MAKE THE LEAGUE THE BAD GUYS.**

 **AFTER ALL, WHO WOULD LISTEN TO A BROKEN SOURCE OF POWER WITH HIGHER INTELLIGENCE THAN NORMAL HUMANS? THEY WOULD CALL HIM CRAZY. THEY WOULD MAKE SURE TO KILL HIM.**

 **BEST TO SPIN A LITTLE LIE, THEN.**

 **BEST TO BECOME ROBIN, THEN.**

 **EXCEPT THERE WAS JUST ONE PROBLEM.**

 **OR TWO, REALLY.**

 **BATMAN AND DEATHSTROKE.**

 **TWO OH-SO SIMILAR PEOPLE, AND YET THEY SIT ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE SPECTRUM.**

 **BY THE SECOND ATTACK ON THE TWENTY-SEVEN VICTIMS, BATMAN HAD FIGURED OUT THE ENTIRE MYSTERY.**

 **HE IS THE WORLD'S GREATEST DETECTIVE, AFTER ALL.**

 **WHILE HE WAITED UNTIL HE COULD CONFRONT STALKER, DEATHSTROKE DID NOT.**

 **HE RAIDED METROPATLAS' LABS OF ITS MOST PRECIOUS PROTOTYPE. HE COVERED A BULLET IN THE SUBSTANCE, AND THEN HE SHOT STALKER IN THE SHOULDER**

 **JUST AFTER THE SOURCE WATCHED THE POLICE TAKE THE LAST VICTIMS AWAY.**

 **AND THEN, AFTER STALKER RESORTED TO HIS BACK UP PLAN, BATMAN APPROACHED HIM. STALKER HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO BLUFF AND SAY THAT HE HAD INJECTED WALLY WITH A VIRUS THAT WOULD KILL HIM AT ANY POINT STALKER WANTED TO ACTIVATE IT.**

 **THE DAY THAT BATMAN GOT SUSPICIOUS THAT THE THREAT WASN'T TRUE WAS THE DAY THAT STALKER MADE A DEAL WITH THE HEAD OF _OVER VENTURE_ LABS. HE TOLD BLASTER TO IMPLANT THE VIRUS THROUGH KID FLASH'S SHOULDER AND PLAY IT OFF AS A DEVICE THAT WOULD SIMPLY BRING HIM EXCRUCIATING PAIN.**

 **AND THEN STALKER WOULD COME TO SAVE THE DAY.**

 **OF COURSE, THE TWO WEREN'T EXPECTING LITTLE WALLY TO FALL RIGHT INTO THEIR HANDS. BUT THEY PLAYED IT OFF ANYWAYS.**

 **DEATHSTROKE BELIEVED HE HAD OFFICIALLY GOTTEN RID OF STALKER FOR GOOD. WHEN HE DIDN'T, HE APPROACHED HIS TWO COLLEAGUES AND, ON ANOTHER DATE, THEY MADE THE DECISION TO DROP A BOMB ON STALKER.**

 **LITERALLY.**

 **BUT THAT DIDN'T WORK EITHER.**

 **I AM SURE THAT IT IS ALL COMING TOGETHER NOW.**

 **ISN'T IT?**

 **I WILL LET YOU FILL IN THE REST OF THE BLANKS.**

 **JUST KNOW,**

 **THAT THE SOURCE**

 **IS THE GOOD GUY.**

 **IN HIS OWN WAY, OF COURSE.**

 **EVERY STORY NEEDS ITS BAD GUY.**

* * *

Wally was slammed hard enough to be thrown into the wall. He yelped as his back hit the hard surface, spiderweb-like cracks emitting from the area he was smashed in. He barely had any time to roll out of his position before a large spike was thrown into the wall where his head was just in.

Wally panted as he rolled out of the way and got to his feet. He stared wide-eyed at the weapon that came so close to just cracking his skull. The sharp end that took the form of a spike was glowing as it stemmed from the shoulder of the person standing in front of him rigidly. The same person shifted, and the spike changed form into an arm.

"Source," Kid Flash acknowledged with dread. His mouth dry, he tried not to think about everything that could go wrong and all the lives that were at stake, or the way his back burned with pain.

"WaLLy," the voice replied. It was excruciatingly painful to listen to—a mix between Robin's and Source's voice along with the soft tones of those that he had killed. Stalker tilted his head to the side, watching Wally carefully. His plated suit that had become an identifying symbol of his identity shimmered. "You are here to stop me," he observed.

Kid Flash's eyes narrowed as he stared at the thing that attempted to mimic his best friend. "Of course," he replied softly. "I can't let you hurt anyone else."

Source looked at him with blank, tired blue eyes. "Regret," he suddenly said, "is a very powerful thing." He suddenly went into a fighting position as he summoned a blade into his hand. "But even that can't stop me."

Kid Flash didn't have the time to swallow his words as Stalker suddenly moved, appearing behind him. Kid Flash gasped and ran off to the side to escape the blade that was thrown downwards and aimed for his head. He ducked and moved backward as Stalker continued to push him further and further with his lightning-quick attacks.

He was _fast_ , and that scared him.

As Kid Flash was backed up into the wall he grabbed onto Stalker's wrist, swinging a punch at Stalker's face.

It phased right through it.

The redhead blinked in surprise. Stalker smirked and grabbed his arm, throwing it over his head. He held his blade up to Wally's throat. "Did you honestly think that you could kill me, all by yourself?" he whispered mockingly. His eyes flashed brightly. "Even when five League members couldn't stand against me?"

Kid Flash wanted to face-palm. He reached his free hand behind his ear, touching a button that rested, hidden, behind his earlobe. A line along his knuckles of his gloves lit up.

Stalker's eyes widened slightly, and his lips parted when Kid Flash threw another punch at him. A bang resonated through the room as he was thrown back, rolling roughly along the ground before landing on his knees and hands.

Did you honestly expect Batman to know who Stalker really was for months on end and never build something to counteract his abilities?

Stalker hissed as Kid Flash rubbed his throat, the line across his knuckles matching the ones that lit up around the edges of his shoes.

Suddenly, his face morphed, his suit disappearing as he grew. His skin turned gray and his limbs longer as his body thinned. He was a thin creature with translucent skin and a million ribs that pushed against his weak skin like bars of a cage. The monster that was the Source opened his mouth and screamed loudly in his off-setting voice, sending cracks throughout the ceiling and walls. Saliva slowly slid down his front sharp teeth.

Kid Flash's jaw dropped slightly as he backed up again from surprise. His eardrums were protesting in pain, but all he was focused on was the creature in front of him that looked like a bad mix between _Slenderman_ and an alien.

"Jesus," he whispered under his breath as he stared at the figure towering over him.

He _hated_ these things.

Stalker leaped forwards, attacking him with two glowing fists. Wally ducked beneath one, wincing when chunks of the wall behind him hit him in the forehead. He blocked the other one with his fist, delivering a kick to his thin haggard chest. Source growled and hissed as he moved backward, his chest simmering before his skin pulsed, quickly growing back over the wound.

Kid Flash jumped upwards and attempted to punch him in the face, only for Source to grab him by the waist and throw him across the room. The speedster was quick to get back to his feet, and he ducked and rolled further down the hallway as Source slammed his fists into the area where his weak stomach was.

Wally tried hard not to think of how he would have crushed his flimsy organs into a flat and bloody mess.

Kid Flash scrambled to feet, running down the long hallway. Knowing that Source was following him, he ran up the side of the wall.

He was not expecting the Source to end up in front of him.

Stalker slammed a fist into the side of his head, knocking Wally off balance. The teenager yelped as he felt gravity start to affect his slow form, and he fell to the ground on his shoulder. He quickly rolled onto his hands and knees, getting up to his feet as he watched Source leisurely appear before him. Panting, Kid Flash rushed forwards, fists raised.

Stalker watched him with an eyeless face, growl slowly coming out from his lips. He grabbed onto Wally's wrists with one hand. Kid Flash felt his stomach drop as he lifted him into the air.

A knee came into harsh contact with his weak stomach, knocking the breath out of Wally. He blinked away the pinpricks of tears that came into his eyes a fist snapped his head back. He felt a drop of blood fall from the corner of his lip to his chin. He smiled shakily. "That all you got?" he spat.

He felt his head being slammed into the wall several times before he was dropped to the ground. He hit his shoulder again, which flared up in pain—but nothing could be compared to the way his head ached. He opened his mouth again, spitting out blood and that evening's after-dinner-dinner. His neck burned with intense pain and throbbed as he tried to get back to his hands and knees.

Blood slipped from his hair and fell onto his ear. He reached out a shaky hand to help him get back up when his fingers were crushed beneath a heel. He let out a cry of pain as his already weak hands were damaged again.

A hand grabbed the back of his suit and picked him up.

"NoO," Stalker said before throwing him farther down the hallway.

Wally rolled before immediately getting back to his feet. He stumbled, but he knew he couldn't fail—not unless he wanted to get caught into another cycle of endless attacks. He scrambled to the end of the hallway, turning to the left and into another hallway. Trying not to focus how much his vision blurred or how much he stumbled, he found himself behind a corner in the hallway.

He tried to quiet his quick breathing as he strained his ears for any sound of Stalker. Crouching low, he pressed himself to be as small as possible against the wall as the sounds of Source's footsteps slowly grew louder. His breath hitched as he heard Stalker growl and his haggard breathing become more apparent—the sounds of him licking his lips and sniffing for him grew increasingly in volume.

His hands shook as he hovered one over a pocket of his suit.

"Wally?"

Kid Flash froze. He knew that voice...

Slowly turning around, he faced a guard. In Over Venture uniform, she wore a dark colored suit with guns holstered on her belt. Unlike most of the other guards, however, she wore a matching helmet.

"Oh my god," she muttered. "It really is you."

 **EVERYONE LIES.**

She stumbled forwards, dropping the gun in her hand to the floor. She slowly pulled off her headgear, revealing short red hair and green eyes.

Kid Flash slowly stood up, shock present on his face.

 **I KNOW YOU ARE ALL SURE OF YOURSELVES THAT LITTLE ONE WILL LIVE THROUGH THIS.**

 **AFTER ALL, HE SPOKE TO ME IN THE FUTURE.**

"Mom?" Kid Flash whispered.

 _Robin and Kid Flash were watching the cars beneath them move as they sat on the Wayne Tower's rooftop. Well, Kid Flash sat. Robin was doing handstands on the edge of the building. They chatted amiably and without a care in the world._

 _"You know, I've been wondering something," Robin admitted._

 _"What?" Kid Flash asked._

 _"If dislike is the opposite of like, does that mean disaster is the opposite of aster?"_

 **BUT THERE'S JUST ONE PROBLEM:**

 **EVERYONE LIES.**

 **WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THAT MY CONVERSATIONS HAD NEVER BEEN WITH LITTLE ONE? WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THAT I HAD BEEN SPEAKING TO AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT PERSON, AND THAT I HAD MERELY ALTERED THE TEXT TO REASSURE YOU?**

Wally's mom smiled. Her eyes teared up as she slowly stepped forward.

 _Kid Flash frowned and blinked. Before he could respond, however, a vine shot out and struck Robin. The nine-year-old, who was standing on his hands, yelped and fell, rolling over the edge._

 **THAT WOULD MEAN THAT I LIED TO YOU.**

 **THAT WOULD MEAN THAT LITTLE ONE IS NOT INVINCIBLE.**

 **WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?**

Wally was too shocked to move as she brought him into a tight hug. They stood like that for a while before she removed herself from her embrace. She held him at arm's length, her hands on his shoulders.

"Mom...? How—how did you—" Wally started, but she shushed him.

"It's a long story," she said tearfully, her bottom lip shaking. She brought her hands up to cup his face. She gently ran her thumbs across his cheeks.

Her green eyes were gentle as she pushed him against the wall tenderly, her body shielding his.

 _Kid Flash ran forward, grabbing Robin by the wrists before he could get out of arm's reach. Behind him, he heard the faint sounds of battle—between whom, Kid Flash didn't know._

 _Robin gasped as he looked beneath him, his legs swinging in fear. "KF, don't you dare drop me," he hissed, his eyes wide as he took in several shallow breaths._

 **WHAT IF I TOLD YOU**

Wally suddenly couldn't breathe.

 **THAT LITTLE ONE DIES?**

The Source's hands that were his mother's glowed as he pressed the pads of his thumbs into Wally's cheeks. The Source's mouth that was his mother's quirked upwards into a smirk.

 **I**

Wally felt like his throat had constricted so much he couldn't get any air in. Heaving, he felt a tear fall from his eye.

 **LIED**

Blood poured into his mouth and he coughed it up, letting it slide down his throat and onto his lips and chin.

 **TO**

He felt his body grow unreasonably hot, and everything itched—it felt like fire ants were crawling over every part of his skin.

 **YOU.**

 _Kid Flash raised an eyebrow. "Dude, of course I wouldn't," he said between gritted teeth. His shoulder ached from catching Robin at such a weird angle, and supporting his weight was slowly starting to create even more strain on it._

His mother that was not his mother unsheathed his blade. He twirled it between her fingers and such, letting it glide across her skin before he held the handle tightly in his grip.

 **AND THEN HE STABBED HIM, RIGHT IN THE CHEST.**

 **BLOOD SPATTERED AGAINST THE WALL.**

 **LITTLE ONE GASPED FOR BREATH AS HE PLACED SHAKY HANDS ON THE WOUND. HIS EYES WERE WIDE AND UNFOCUSED AS BLOOD COVERED THE PALMS OF HIS HANDS. HIS MOUTH WAS PARTED SLIGHTLY IN SURPRISE. HE LOOKED AT STALKER, WHO WAS IN FRONT OF HIM, BLOOD SLIPPING OUT OF THE CORNER OF HIS MOUTH.**

 **HE THINKS ABOUT FAILURE—HE THINKS ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE HE HAS FAILED IN THIS MOMENT.**

 _Wally pulled Robin up over the railing, making sure he didn't let go of him until after both of his feet were settled on the ground. Behind him, he could hear a villainess—Poison Ivy? It was Gotham, so perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised—and Batman fighting._

 _He stared at Robin, who looked badly shaken up._

 _"Rob," he called quietly, making sure that the nine-year-old was looking at him so he could convince him that he meant what he said, "I'd never do something so stupid. Of course not."_

 _Robin looked over at him. "You promise?" he asked after a moment of silence. He held his pinky out. "You promise you're never going to drop me?"_

 _The two ignored the sounds of a plant crashing to the ground._

 **HE THINKS ABOUT ROBIN.**

 **HE THINKS ABOUT RYAN.**

 **HE THINKS ABOUT BATGIRL.**

 **HE THINKS ABOUT HIS MOM.**

 **STALKER LET GO OF HIM, LETTING HIM FALL TO THE GROUND.**

 **TEARS SLIPPED FROM HIS EYES AND ONTO THE FLOOR AS HE WATCHED STALKER WALK AWAY FROM HIM.**

 **HE CHOKED OUT, WEAKLY RAISING HIS HAND, ALMOST AS IF THAT COULD STOP THE HORRIFYING TRUTH FROM SETTLING UPON HIM.**

 _Kid Flash interlinked Robin's smallest finger with his own._

 **HE WHISPERED, "I TRIED, ROB."**

 **HANDS BLOODIED AND COLD, BODY THRASHING,**

 **MEMORIES AND THOUGHTS AND HOPES AND DREAMS**

 **STOLEN,**

 **CHOKING ON HIS BREATH,**

 **CLOSING HIS EYES,**

 _"I'd never."_

 **HE DIED.**

 **ALL TO SAVE HUMANITY.**

 **AFTER ALL,**

 **YOU HAVE TO KILL A FEW**

 **TO LET THE OTHER 7.6 BILLION PROSPER.**

* * *

The guards forced the four mismatched heroes onto their knees. Well, three of them, at least—one of the guards was holding Red Tornado's head in his hand. "Sir," one of the guards called out, "we managed to find and capture several members of the League."

Danner looked at them and smiled. He clapped his hands. "Oh, what a wonderful sight!" he said. "Now I can get payback for all the crap you've caused."

His blonde assistant started to take over, giving out orders as Danner made his way over to the captured League forces.

Rocket, who was just starting to wake up, scowled at him. She started to struggle futilely, the guard behind her holding onto her bound wrists. She let out a muffled cry of anger as she continued to fight against her bonds when a guard's hand grabbed her by the head and pushed her back into a crouching position.

"If you'd like," the head guard said, "we can take them outside and have them Xed-out there."

"No," Danner said as he peeled off his gloves, "I want to do this myself." He reached for his pistol when it happened.

 **IF ANY OF YOU HAD PAID CLOSE ENOUGH ATTENTION, YOU'D REALIZE SOMETHING:**

 **THE LEAGUE'S FIGHTING FORCE WAS MADE UP OF TWENTY-SIX PEOPLE, AND THEN ONE OTHER PERSON.**

 **WE ONLY MENTIONED TWENTY-THREE.**

His blonde assistant hit him across the face with enough force to knock him into one of the desks and smash one of the computers. Surprised, he immediately raised his gun and shot at her, missing as she ran along the desks until he was clicking with an empty cartridge.

"Damn it," he cursed. "Guards! Take her—"

"Sdroc, eit meht pu," a calm voice came. Several computer cables sparked as they were ripped from their places to wrap around the guards in a thick layer of plastic and wiring.

Danner stood there in shock as a hand was placed on his shoulder. Turning with fear in his eyes, he was immediately knocked out by a punch to the face.

Rolling her shoulders, the blonde assistant pulled her cap off her head and took her hair out of her ponytail. "Good job, Zatanna," she said as she made her way to the middle of the room. Zatanna, who was pretending to be a guard by the front of the room, took off her helmet and took in a deep breath.

"Those masks stink," she muttered as she stood by Black Canary.

Black Canary chose not to respond and turned to face the people behind her. "We don't want to hurt you," she immediately said. "We know of Danner's threats against your families and friends. We know how he has instilled fear into you to force you to do as he pleases. We are _not_ here to take you out and arrest everyone here—we are here to make sure that those who deserve to be in jail stay there, and those that just want a normal life can have one. You can fight us if you wish—we don't want to hurt you, however, and it would make all of our lives easier if you didn't and remained calm in your seats. Does everyone see where I'm coming from?"

When all she got was silence, she shrugged. "I'm assuming that's a yes."

As she turned around, Zatanna murmured to her, "Nice speech."

"I tried," she replied.

She then turned to the group that was still by the guards on the floor. "Rocket, could you do me a favor?"

The teenager got up and flew awkwardly to her. "Sure," she said, "though could you cut the rope?" She gestured to her bound hands the best she could.

Black Canary nodded and quickly cut through it as she whispered her short idea into her ear.

Rocket nodded as her confirmation before she made her way to her other teammates, freeing them as well. She relayed the mission to them before they stepped out (Plastic Man carrying Red's head).

At the same time, Black Canary turned to the man that Danner had antagonized throughout the entire invasion. "Agent A, are you ready?" she asked.

The older man nodded, though his realistic mask made him look younger than he really was. "Of course, mistress Canary."

At the front of the room, a camera was pulled up of the generators. There were two guards at the front of the entrance, though they were fidgety—most likely from nerves.

"Deactivator, you there?" she asked into her comm.

 _"Hold up one second,"_ came Atom's reply.

 _He, in a smaller size, started down a vent that followed the long corridors. His footsteps were light as he quickly ran to his destination, as he had been doing for the past hour. Finally reaching it, he stared at the ground below through the grate. Making himself even smaller, he allowed himself to fall through and towards the ground._

Black Canary watched as a small speck appeared on the screen before growing, revealing Atom. The guards, panicking, failed to draw their guns in time as Atom knocked them out.

 _"I'm here,"_ Atom said.

"Good," Black Canary said. "Find the switch as I alert Batman."

 _"Yes, ma'am."_

Black Canary pressed her finger against her comm. "Black Canary to Batman," she said, "this is Code Black. Prepare night vision effect as immediately as you can."

 _"Black Canary, this is Batman. Night vision will be effective in t minus fifteen seconds."_

 _"Black Canary, Deactivator here. Switch located. Requesting permission to shut generators down."_

Black Canary took a second to raise her voice. "This is when you might want to sit down and remain calm," she said before touching her comm.

"Affirmative," she said.

On the screen, Atom nodded. He reached forward and gripped the handle in his right hand before pulling it down.

The generators immediately stopped.

"Lights off," Black Canary murmured, a smile starting to make its way onto her face.

 **AND, INSTANTANEOUSLY, EVERYTHING TURNS BLACK**

 **EXCEPT FOR THE GLOWING SHIELD THAT FLICKERS OUTSIDE THE BUILDING.**

 **BUT, WITHOUT ITS MAIN POWER SOURCE, IT NOW ONLY RELIES ON METROPATLAS' TO FUNCTION.**

 **THE ROOMS ARE NOTHING BUT SHADOWS AND DARKNESS.**

 **AND THEN, IN MASKS, COWLS, AND CONTACTS,**

 **THE NIGHT VISION EFFECT IS ACTIVATED.**

 **AND SUDDENLY,**

 **THE LEAGUE IS IN CONTROL,**

 **FOR THEY CAN SEE IN THIS INFINITE ABYSS**

 **OF**

 **B**

 **L**

 **A**

 **C**

 **K**

 **GUESS WHO CAN'T?**

* * *

Sam held the gun to Sarah's temple for a very long time when the latter finally made her decision.

Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, and both Martians were tied up and forced to withhold using their powers unless they wanted to be the cause of Sarah's death. At MetropATLAS labs, their mission was to turn off the electrical power plant that was supplying Over Venture's barrier, and they had succeeded—at least until Sam and her group came in and surprised them.

Sam was smoking another cigarette, which gave Sarah the perfect opportunity to quickly motion with her hands to one of her deaf colleagues. He was clearly upset as he motioned to her with much better precision—her movements were much more sloppy—but he was slowly reassured by her promises and movements.

Sarah leaned back on her haunches, closing her eyes to give herself a little bit of a break. She could sit here forever, but only if she had the capability to do something. Like teaching, for example. She hated the thought of sitting somewhere for hours on end and not being able to do anything.

Especially since it was her twin sister who held her at gunpoint.

Sam pulled her cigarette from her lips, blowing a puff of smoke into the air. She dropped it to the ground and crushed it beneath her foot, letting the ashes cover the toe of her shoe. "Jaime," she called.

"Yes, sir?" the man replied.

"Take the scientists out into the hallway," she said. "We can't stand here forever. Kill half of them, leave the other half out there and let the League over here hope to god that we don't kill the other half." She said it with a sense of blandness, one that made it seem as normal as breathing.

Sarah felt herself pale. "No," she murmured. She said it again, louder when Sam's colleagues started to grab her friends by the back of their lab coats.

"Oh Sarah," Sam said, "I'm sorry. But it has to be done," she said, almost as if she wasn't sorry at all.

Sarah clenched her jaw so tightly that it started to hurt. The guards had just started to bring them to their feet when Sarah looked down at her hands, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She started shaking as she felt her heartbeat ring in her ears uncomfortably. She swayed as blinding fear and rage took over her.

And then she did something she never thought she would ever do.

In her hand, she held the vial of the substance she had created just prior to being held at gunpoint.

 _Very dangerous indeed, so be careful when you're trying to prepare this as well._

Popping the stopper out of it, she twisted around and the threw the substance into her sister's face.

The effect was instant.

Sam screamed in agony as the acid tore into her skin and muscles and bones, burning out her eyeballs. In reaction, heads turned in shock before the scientists started to fiercely fight back—the Martians and Flash phased through their bonds to take out the guards before they shot them. Wonder Woman was breaking through her own, helping Green Arrow with his.

But no one was there to stop Sam.

And Sam, in excruciating pain, could barely feel anything as she pulled the trigger in reflex.

The bullet entered just above Sarah's ear, entering through her skull and penetrating her brain tissue. Sarah blinked as she looked on at the people she saved before she fell onto her side.

She died.

Sam paused, the acid still tearing through her skin as she fell to her knees by Sarah's side. She let out a wail of agony, tears falling down her face from pain and loss. Her shoulders shook as the acid continued to eat away at her skin.

"No, no, Sarah, I didn't mean it—"

She sobbed. And then, with fuzzy vision, she fumbled for her gun, checking the cartridge with shaky hands. There was still one bullet left as she snapped it back shut. She lifted the gun up.

Wonder Woman broke from her bonds, as did Green Arrow. She was about to approach Sam when the woman made her move. Her eyes widened as she held her hand out in front of her.

"Sam, don't—!"

 _Bang._

Sam dropped beside her sister's dead body, her hands intertwined with Sarah's.

Both had bullets in their brains.

Both came from Sam's gun.

Flash appeared beside Wonder Woman's frozen form. "The plant was turned back off and all the guards are unconscious and or wrapped up—"

He fell silent.

"Oh no," he whispered.

Wonder Woman closed her eyes as she tried to get the image out of her mind. She shook her head and turned away from the two.

"Let's give them some peace," she said as she placed a hand on Green Arrow's and Flash's shoulders.

Flash could only stare.

* * *

Blaster was smirking as he stared at Hal, Hawkwoman, and Superboy—otherwise known as Team Wreck-it-Ralph.

Beside him, Batgirl lied motionless.

"You bastard," Hal hissed.

"What?" Raylee purred. "You should have seen this coming when you brought a little girl with you. What did you think was going to happen?"

Hal gritted his teeth in anger.

Raylee opened her mouth again when a mace hit her hard enough to hit the wall. Her head snapped back from the impact as she hit the surface before she fell to the ground, unconsciousness greeting her with open arms.

The owner of the mace, Hawkwoman, was standing with narrowed eyes as she swung it leisurely in her hand.

Blaster raised his eyebrow. "Confident now that Raylee's down, eh?"

"No," Superboy said. "We're confident because of this."

Blaster blinked. "This? What do you mean by—"

The lights all went out. All of the monitors cut off, and the tanks' lights that held the experiments shut off as well.

It was pitch black.

"What the hell?" he muttered.

Blaster paused before holding his gun tighter in his grip. He couldn't hear anyone close to him, but the sounds of pained grunts from his allies continued. When the last body dropped to the floor, silence fell over the room.

Blaster swallowed heavily as he prepared himself for an attack. Stepping backward, he could faintly hear the sounds of footsteps around him.

He heard the steps of Superboy, and he twisted around and threw a punch, only for Superboy to catch it and throw his own. It hit the breastplate of his suit, cracking the metal and revealing several wires that poked through the broken surface. Sparks that lit up the area for a split second went out as they touched the surface of his bumpy, broken suit and the floor. Growling, he grabbed a piece of Kryptonite from the belt around his waist—the same he used months ago—and threw it at Superboy. The young boy groaned and fell backward at the pain that it brought him.

A mace hit his back from behind, making him stumble forwards. He spun around and gripped the handle of the bludgeon in his hand, tugging it forward to throw a punch into what he thought was Hawkwoman's face. She fell backward and shook her head, shrugging off the blow.

A green fist hit him hard enough to knock him into the wall. It grabbed a hold of him and slammed him into the ground multiple times.

Blaster could practically feel the anger coming from the Green Lantern as he randomly shot into the area where he thought Hal could have been.

He heard a grunt of pain, and he started to shoot several times in that direction. A green shield was erected—GoingCheetah55, it's not funny—to block the many blasts that came in that direction.

Suddenly, something grabbed his arms and legs, holding him still.

It was something stretchy...

"Plastic Man?" he heard someone say.

"Don't forget us," another came.

Blaster, irritated, tore his arm from the grip of the so-called Plastic Man. Grabbing a sparkler from his belt, he threw it in front of him to reveal the forms of Green Lantern, Hawkwoman, Superboy, Plastic Man, Shazam, and Rocket.

And then the head of Red Tornado.

Blaster clicked his tongue. "You're going to try to take me down, are you? With pure force?"

Hal grinned. "Nah." He looked up. "She will, though."

Blaster turned around to see Batgirl's heel in his face as she swung down from the ceiling. His head snapped back as he tumbled to the ground, sliding until his face right by the feet of Shazam, who was holding Red Tornado's head.

"I believe this is what you would call a 'humiliating defeat,' " Red Tornado said.

Batgirl appeared by his side.

Blaster snarled at her. "I—"

"You tried to kill me," Batgirl said, "but you should really check if someone's playing dead or not, dumbass."

Hal stood next to Batgirl. "Next time, don't scare the living crap out of me."

Batgirl grinned. "Oh, so you _do_ care. How cute."

Hal rolled his eyes before stomping on the sparkler, throwing darkness back on Blaster.

"Time to get back to work."

* * *

 _They move._

 _They are quiet and swift like shadows as they move through the hallways with light footsteps._

 _With night their night vision, it takes no time at all to make it to their destination._

 _The guards are left in the dark._

 _Atom runs up and through the floors, away from the basement._

 _Black Canary and Zatanna wrap up all the guards. They grab Danner with them and, along with Agent A, they move. They do not stop the people in the room from grabbing onto their phones and lighting up the room with their flashlight function._

 _All of them aim for the same place:_

 _Outside._

* * *

Artemis reached back into her quiver for an arrow. It took a second to find one, but she did. It wasn't the one she wanted—she badly needed an explosive one—but it would have to do. She pulled the arrow back on the cord of her bow, letting it sit for a second. She tried to breathe evenly as she felt her arms shake before she finally released it towards a closely-packed group of Over Venture guards.

She watched the arrow fly through the air towards her targets, zipping at speeds that eyes couldn't follow—

She missed.

Artemis muttered a curse underneath her breath as the group continued to get closer and closer to her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Doctor Fate fighting off hordes on his own.

She reached back again for another arrow, though her fingers couldn't grasp any. Turning to look at the quiver on her back, her stomach suddenly dropped with the realization that it was empty.

"Damn it," she mumbled. She turned around, staring at her bow. She could still fight with it, but taking out whole groups? She felt a drop of sweat fall from her hair and down her neck. She brushed several drops of water out of her eyes from the rain—since it was still pouring.

Trying to ignore the way her muscles protested with every movement from exhaustion, she adjusted her grip on her bow. Maybe she couldn't get rid of all of them, but she could at least try...

Doctor Fate was floating above when his expression changed.

"Artemis! Look out!"

It was an expression she heard very often—she just never expected it to be aimed at her. Bile rose in her throat as she turned around.

A small female with dark eyes and curly red hair was standing there, gun raised.

She pulled the trigger twice.

Artemis fell.

The rain slid down her cheeks and fell into her eyes.

Silently, she watched as the woman's gun was knocked out of her hand by a bat-a-rang.

Superboy's fist knocked her out.

And then Doctor Fate was there, holding her in her arms.

Behind him, Batgirl stood. They exchanged several words. Above her, Hal and Hawkwoman floated in the air, taking out groups of bots and stragglers while keeping a bird's eye view of the area. Shazam and Plastic Man and Superboy were on the ground, doing their part to take out the last few groups of bad guys.

Batgirl was standing a little way's away from Artemis, her back turned and eyes and ears open as she stood guard. She was clenching and unclenching her fist, fidgeting as worry started to openly affect her.

And Doctor Fate was still holding her in his arms.

 _"You said that you did something that you already regretted before,"_ Zatara reminded him. _"Don't do something you're going to regret again."_

Doctor Fate watched Artemis carefully. She was still alive but dying.

 _"Healing her will be hard,"_ Doctor Fate thought to the other magician. _"If it was some other wound, I could easily treat her. However, two bullet wounds in brain tissue are much more problematic."_

 _"If you can't heal her with me, then you know you'll have to find another way."_

Fate knew exactly what he was implying. _"If I do as you insinuate, you have to give me your word that you will put the helmet back on."_

 _"Of course. You have my word."_

For a second, Doctor Fate did not move. Then, reaching up slowly, he pulled the helmet off. Batgirl, from her position, stopped flicking her bat-a-rang in nervousness. She stared at Fate—who was now Zatara—in surprise.

Zatara reached forward and pushed the helmet lightly onto Artemis' head, mindful of her high ponytail and mask. Fate's suit appeared on Artemis' body. The two—Zatara and Batgirl—waited with bated breath.

Nothing happened.

Batgirl looked away, biting her lower lip.

And then she suddenly burst into tears. She didn't look at the older magician as she gripped her bat-a-rang tight enough to tear through the fabric of her gloves and create gashes in her hand.

The rain hit Fate's helmet, making it gleam brightly. It slid down the smooth surface, washing away the dirt and mud that came from the puddle beneath Artemis. Zatara looked at the girl who was in his arms before he gently placed her on the ground. He lightly grabbed her wrists and laid them on her chest, and then, after a moment of hesitation, pulled the helmet back off of her.

He tenderly placed her head on the ground and set Fate's headgear into his lap. Her blonde hair fell around her face, several smaller strands sticking to her face from the moisture. The bullet wounds on her forehead were healed—but she still had yet to open her eyes.

Batgirl still had her back to Artemis, even as she held a hand to her forehead and cried. "Artemis," she said with a tremor in her voice.

She screamed and threw her bat-a-rang against the barrier. It phased through and landed in the trunk of a tree. Batgirl let out another sob as she fell to her knees and covered her head.

The clouds, mourning, continued to pour an endless amount of tears.

* * *

Aqualad watched as the shield shimmered beneath his fingertips. He watched it flicker with light—it was weaker than before. Without either the generators or the plant generating electricity for the barrier, the dome had to run off of reserves—and clearly, it was running low on juice.

He pressed his water bearer into the barrier, watching the shield push back—but not with nearly as much force as it had before. He watched as John Stewart flew over the barrier, using his powers as a Green Lantern to shoot down several of the few remaining bots.

Hawkman followed shortly afterward, slamming his mace into the shield. Superman followed him with his heat vision, while Batman shot at the barrier inside his fancy-schmancy doohicky shipperoo.

(... You know what? I'm not even going to question that.)

Aqualad raised his hand, letting the water he had previously controlled spin around him. He felt it beneath his toes before it shot him up in the air. He let it carry him forwards before he pulled out his water bearers and slammed them into the shield.

The shield shimmered again before cracks appeared beneath him like spiderwebs. They slowly grew, and the shield made sounds like ice snapping as the unstable surface beneath him flickered before going out. Not too far away from him, John Stewart and Hawkman were flying in place. They looked at one another and nodded before flying down to the ground.

Neither noticed that Aqualad had assisted in the final attack.

And then he was falling.

Trying not to let out a sound of surprise when two strong arms caught him, he let himself go somewhat lax as they fell to the ground. The sound of their impact echoed throughout the clearing loudly, and he could feel the soil give underneath them. Superboy let go of him, letting him stand on his feet.

"Thank you, my friend," was all that he could say at that moment. "Where are the others?"

Superboy turned and pointed to the other side of the building. "They should be over there," he said.

Aqualad internally sighed. He broke out into a run, knowing that Superboy was following them by the sounds of his feet hitting the ground. When they turned the corner of the building, the first thing that Aqualad noticed was the group that was huddled around in a half-circle.

He didn't look at Superboy as he moved towards Batgirl, who was standing several meters away with her back turned from the group, sobbing.

His feet suddenly turned numb. "Batgirl, my friend," he said as he placed a hand on her shoulder, "what is the matter?"

She froze as she looked up to look him in the eye. She hiccuped and looked at something behind her.

Aqualad followed her gaze and stared. He stumbled, though Superboy balanced him with a hand on his shoulder.

He felt his stomach drop to the floor as his throat grew dry.

Zatara, still holding Fate's helmet in his hands, spoke numbly. "Fate managed to heal her wounds but—" He took in a deep shaky breath, "—too late," he said, almost unable to finish his sentence. He took in a deep breath before he stood up.

"How long?" someone asked him.

His lips formed a thin, grim line. "A few minutes at most," he said. He exhaled slowly before he placed the helmet back on his head, becoming Doctor Fate once more.

"Oh god," Hal muttered from somewhere far away. "What is Green Arrow going to think of this?"

Aqualad could barely hear Hawkwoman's response. He could barely hear his own breathing as he stared at his fellow teammate.

Artemis was pale as she lied on the ground, motionless. Her hands were pressed carefully on her chest, a sign that Kaldur recognized as meant for peace.

He...

He let her become this.

He didn't notice Rocket's hand on his shoulder or the words that escaped her lips.

All he felt was numb.

Suddenly, a chest blocked his view. It was covered in black plating with a bat symbol. "He's in shock," he heard. "Leader's guilt. Green Lantern, get him to—"

"Wait!" a voice came.

Aqualad looked at the newcomer.

There was so much blood.

So, so much blood.

Aqualad felt his blood grow even colder.

 _"HELP!"_

* * *

The Source's hands that were his mother's glowed as he pressed the pads of his thumbs into Wally's cheeks. The Source's mouth that was his mother's quirked upwards into a smirk.

Wally felt like his throat had constricted so much he couldn't get any air in. Heaving, he felt a tear fall from his eye. Blood poured into his mouth and he coughed it up, letting it slide down his throat and onto his lips and chin. He felt his body grow unreasonably hot, and everything itched—it felt like fire ants were crawling over every part of his skin.

His mother that was not his mother unsheathed his blade. He twirled it between her fingers and such, letting it glide across her skin before he held the handle tightly in his grip.

Source then thrust the blade closer to Wally's chest. It hit the wall, the end of the blade digging several inches into the concrete.

Source blinked with Wally's mother's eyes.

Turning to Kid Flash, he realized something a second too late:

 _He vibrated._

Kid Flash stood there, sweat pouring down his face as his face flushed. Stumbling down the hallway, his arms continued to vibrate as he ran.

 _He vibrated through the knife._

 _He vibrated through_ me _._

Stalker let out a growl as he changed forms. He started to charge forward, but Kid Flash started to use his powers—effectively putting him ahead of him.

The speedster panted as he ran around the corner of the hallway, shooting down another. He could feel himself sweating, way more than usual—it was just so _hot_. By the time he arrived at the entrance to the room, he was gasping like he had run a marathon and a half—without any powers to help him.

He almost immediately recognized the room. It was huge. He stepped out onto the first platform, which was small and tiny. In front of him, wires stuck up from the ground—like there had been several machines that had been torn out—and a twisted and gnarled iron railing sat behind them. On either side of him, a staircase led down to the second platform, which sat only slightly farther than the first. Several pillars—most of which were broken—sat on the second level, which peered over the third and ground level.

That level was the area that the Source had been kept in for seven years.

A hand slammed into his back, forcing him to tumble. He fell into a roll, and he noticed his surroundings dizzily as he stopped moving while on his stomach. Groaning, he pushed himself onto his hands and knees. One of his hands reached out in reflex and caught the bent and rumpled railing as he stumbled.

Turning to face Stalker, who was standing in the doorway, he pulled himself up shakily. "You can't decide everyone's future," he seethed as he let go of the iron railing.

The source hissed. "I cAN anD I WiLl," he replied before slamming into Wally.

Kid Flash threw a punch, but Stalker caught it and slammed his knee into the speedster. Wally gasped in pain as he lurched backward.

The railing did nothing to stop him from tumbling over the edge of the platform.

Wally remembered quite clearly the last time he was on there.

Last time, he and Robin were standing on it, confident that there was something they could do to help the League.

That was the last time he ever stood next to Robin.

He let out a cry of pain as his back hit the floor. He hissed, the breath knocked out of him, as he tried to blink the many dots that filled his vision. Before he could get back to his feet, a spike sliced through the skin of his cheek and ear before it hit the ground behind him. Eyes widened, he started breathing in sharp, shallow breaths as he rolled out of the way of another skewer that was aimed for his head.

Panting, he glanced at the glowing spears before they dissipated into thin air.

 _He can adjust his form,_ Batman had said. _But his physical body is limited. The smaller he is, the more of his form he can spare to create weapons._

Wally felt himself grimace as he continued to zip around the second platform of the building. He moved out of the way of another when one grazed his thigh. He cried out in pain as he rolled behind one of the pillars keeping the ceiling up.

Now that he remembered it, four years ago he was sitting on the other side of that pillar.

He clenched his teeth together as he inhaled sharply. He pressed a hand on the wound, trying to slow the bleeding.

He yelped and held his arms over his head as the already-shortened pillar—most of it was destroyed in the event four years ago—was made smaller as the Source threw a spike through the top of it. He trembled as it barely missed his head by an inch, taking in plenty of shallow breaths to reassure himself. His fingers still felt like they were asleep, as was the rest of his body—like bugs were crawling all over him without relent or getting mildly shocked.

He closed his eyes and swallowed deeply, trying to ignore the sweat that rolled down his face. Steeling his nerves, he quickly stood up and ran to the far side of the second platform, running up the wall. He could hear the sounds of ground breaking behind him as sharp edges tore into the floor.

Panting as he ran up the side of the wall, he tried to ignore both the pain in his leg and the sounds of metal and sharp edges meeting. He sharply turned, running sideways as he made his way to the first platform. He hissed as another spike was thrown at him, landing just inches in front of his foot. Yelping as he felt gravity start to pull down on him, he moved around the object as he tried to pick up speed.

It was a little too difficult for his liking.

Cursing under his breath as he continued running, he stumbled back onto the first platform. Rolling back onto his feet, he then dropped to his knees and leaned back. The jarring impact sent waves of pain up his knees and legs. Another weapon—this time the form of a blade—passed over his face, barely missing the tip of his nose. It dissipated before it hit the wall, going back to the form of Stal—

Kid Flash stared at Source.

His jaw tightened.

His eyes grew dark.

Stalker stood, unfazed with Kid Flash's comeback. Turning to face his opponent, he flicked his hand by his thigh, tightening his grip on the two blades that appeared in his hands. He looked at the speedster with dark brown eyes, his black bangs falling past his eyebrows.

Stalker smiled with Ryan's lips.

"MiSSeD mE?" he whispered.

Wally punched him across the face. Source lurched back at the hit, his head snapping to the side before he smirked. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, his knife glinting in the overhead lights, he parted his lips to say something when Kid Flash aimed another punch.

Stalker ducked beneath it, holding his arm out in front of him as he his eyes brightened. A dark stream of light appeared from the ground and hit Kid Flash's side, knocking him over towards the edge of the platform. Wally felt his leg send sharp pangs of ache to his pain receptors.

He grimaced as Stalker stood over him.

"EvERy timE YOU fIgHT BaCK, i wiLL ThRoW yoU bACk uNTiL thERE's NoTHInG LefT oF YoU."

Wally stumbled back to his feet. "Then I might as well make it as miserable for you as possible," he hissed back.

Stalker growled and shot forward, arm pulled back and ready to stab Wally. Kid Flash caught Stalker's wrist and—knowing that he could be making the worst decision of his life—he spun Stalker around and threw him as hard as he could over the edge of the platform. The Ryan copy cried out as he was flung away.

Wally reached for the pocket on his arm, pulling out a small, black marble-like device. He held it in his hand as he watched Stalker move slowly through the air.

 _"You've been working pretty hard on this stuff," Wally complimented Batman_ _as he picked through the items in the box. He felt his fingertips graze over his goggles again as he picked up a pair of gloves that seemed only slightly different from the ones he usually wore. "When did you make all of this?"_

 _"I've known about Stalker's true identity for months now, Wallace," the man replied. "Did you honestly think that I wouldn't come prepared?"_

 _"I guess not," Wally murmured. A sudden thought struck him. "You said that these things are all prototypes. That you aren't sure if they work against Stalker."_

Wally's fist tightened around the marble. He felt it warm beneath his glove, signifying that it was charged up. He felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead beneath the mask.

Thump.

 _"I'm not sure if it will be as effective as I hope they will be," Batman admitted. "Why?"_

 _Wally was silent as he looked at an inky black contraption in the box. It sat on the dark velvet of the inside of the container. It was smooth, like a spheric stone that had been polished. He could barely see his warped reflection in it. "What happens if they don't work?" he asked quietly._

 _Batman didn't say anything. His silence was unnerving, but also the exact answer Wally needed._

 _"Oh," was all he could murmur. And when the realization hit him, he felt his face grow pale as he tried not to concentrate on the fact that he could easily be dying again in the near future. But he didn't have the mind to speak out that fear—all he could do was repeat what he had already said._

 _"Oh."_

Kid Flash swallowed heavily, ignoring the way time seemed to move so slowly as he threw the marble at Source, who was inches away from the ground of the second platform. He hit it shoulders first as he rolled over that edge, too. Immediately, he started to shift forms into something he had worn more comfortably—Robin. His body lengthened, giving him the leverage he needed to save himself from falling.

He reached an arm out, catching himself on the ledge of the raised floor with one hand. He pulled himself up until his chest was leaning on the metal flooring, his legs still dangling over the edge. His head shot up as he heard the sounds of something hitting the ground multiple times, the clinking noise echoing throughout the room ominously. He watched as the same black marble hit the ground, bounced up, and then hit the ground again as it got closer and closer to him. It rolled until it was but arm's distance away from him before it finally came to a stop.

His brows furrowed as he looked at it carefully, the surface of it shimmering. His eyes narrowed in confusion when the marble flashed in color. "Wha—"

Wally covered his ears as a loud bang resonated throughout the room. Dust floated upwards, choking him and clouding his vision as he heard part of the second platform crumble. Loose chunks from the ceiling fell down, bombarding Kid Flash as he tried to simultaneously protect himself and shield his hearing.

After everything went still, Kid Flash slowly unwound himself. He looked around, though the dust was still too thick to see through. Coughing as some got into his throat, he brushed his watery eyes. He stood at the edge, trying to see any sign of Stalker.

Suddenly his platform shook. Blinking in surprise, he gasped in shock as he felt the ground shudder beneath him. He heard metal being ripped and bolts cracked. He tried to step back, to run back to the entrance of the hallway, but the platform beneath him cracked and gave out before he could do so.

He realized a moment too late that someone was taking out the support structure.

Crying out as he felt himself free-fall, he felt his stomach churn as it jumped up to his throat. He yelped as his back hit sharp debris, and his momentum caused him to roll onto his side. He yelled out in agony as a piece of the platform fell onto his hip, the metal digging into his already-bleeding leg. He scrunched up his eyes as tears threatened to fall from his dust-covered face.

"Damn it," he cursed as he brought a shaky palm to his side.

The sound of a blade scraping on debris filled his ears. Wally's head shot up, looking at the cause of the noise. His face paled as he saw the form of Stalker. He wasn't in his _Slenderman_ form, nor was he in Ryan's. His blue eyes met Wally's, the only sign of color on his dust-covered figure.

He moved forward, dropping his dagger into the ground. The blade glinted in the light as it rested peacefully in the dirt. Standing in front of Wally, he took notice of his restricted form. His body flickered, almost as if damaged by the blast.

"This scene looks familiar, doesn't it?" he asked Kid Flash quietly as he crouched so they were face-to-face. Falling silent, he pulled an even more familiar gun out into the open.

Stalker looked at it carefully as he rubbed his thumb across the side of its metal cover. He didn't pay attention to the way that Wally's breath became more shallow and quick, or the way that he tensed. He turned to Kid Flash calmly, pressing the gun up to his temple. He held it there for a second, ignoring the way that the speedster gasped for breath or the way that he shook.

"Don't worry," he said quietly. "After I save humanity, I'll make sure to mourn my losses." He cocked the gun. He stared through Wally with his empty blue eyes. "You know," he started carefully, "even through all the trouble you've caused me, I think you might be one of them."

His hand flickered again, and he winced as he almost dropped the gun.

 _"What happens if they don't work?"_

Wally stared at the gun and then at Stalker. "Humans are more complicated than that," he replied. He couldn't muster the strength to say it with hatred—it sounded more tired than anything.

Stalker stared at him with a somber gaze. "I am aware of that," he said quietly.

After a moment of silence, he tightened his grip on his gun. "Goodbye, Wally."

Kid Flash closed his eyes. He let his head fall further. His dusty bangs covered his eyes. He swallowed thickly and, despite his pride protesting, he replied.

"Goodbye, Source."

Stalker hesitated. His hands flickered in and out of view. Letting a single tear fall, he let his pointer finger fall onto the trigger of the pistol. His lower lip trembled as his lips pursed.

"Do you want me to carry any message for you?"

Wally opened his eyes back up. He looked Stalker in the eye. Shocked, he did not say anything for a very long time. "Barry," he finally muttered. "Tell him..." He paused, almost as if he wasn't sure what he wanted to say.

That he loved him?

That he wanted so badly to live with him and Iris?

That he was the best uncle he could ask for?

Wally looked away from Stalker, focusing on something very far away. "Tell him—" He shook. "Tell him I said I'm sorry."

Thump.

Stalker stared at him for a second longer. He looked at his emeralds for eyes and his roses for cheeks. He looked at the freckles that dotted his cheeks. He looked at his matted hair and pale skin.

His finger tightened on the trigger.

A shot rang through the room.

Stalker froze and, after a moment of tense silence, finally released his gun. Stumbling back, he felt his shoulders shake as he let another tear fall from his eye. It slipped down his cheek, dripping off of his jaw before it finally hit the ground. He felt his hands tremble as he fell to his knees.

 _Someone might convince you that what you're going to do is wrong._

His hands flickered.

it is funny, really. my second downfall was the one person i hated.

and yet, i did not want to hurt him.

Stalker raised a hand to his chest, pressing fading hands against the part of his body. He choked out as he looked at the gaping hole with wide eyes. He blinked in surprise as he fell onto his side.

His hands started to slowly crumble away.

Behind him stood Red Arrow, gun raised. Smoke was still spilling out from the end of the barrel when he bounded forward.

 **THE ONLY WAY TO FIGHT FIRE IS WITH FIRE.**

 **THE ONLY WAY TO KILL THE SOURCE IS TO USE HIS OWN POWERS.**

Wally was staring at Stalker with wide eyes. He only noticed his friend when the archer had pushed the debris off of him and was pulling him closer to him.

"Speedy?" he croaked. "What... what..."

"I promised you I'd do my best to give you a good ending, didn't I?" Roy responded as he lied Wally on his back. He ripped a part of his shirt off, tying it around Wally's bleeding thigh. The blood had spread almost throughout the entire leg of his suit. "I'm going to help you, okay?" he said. "You're going to get out of this alive."

Wally coughed up blood.

Roy picked him up, holding him in his arms bridal-style as he started to trek up the hill of debris. Kid Flash looked behind his shoulder to see Stalker fading away, crumbling out of existence. He was on his back, his gun by his feet and dagger by his head as he stared up at the ceiling with his blue eyes.

"How—how did you get..." Wally started before he fell into a coughing fit.

"I got help from a friend of mine," Roy answered. "Now shut up and stop talking."

He watched as Stalker closed his eyes and faded completely.

Wally blinked away his tears as Roy entered the hallway of the twenty-seventh floor. He immediately broke out into a sprint, running through the rooms and over to the staircase. As he ran, Wally tried to keep track of which floor they were on. However, his surroundings quickly faded into a blur. He blinked as the lights became too bright for him. He started to close his eyes when he heard Roy's voice.

"Wally, don't close your eyes."

Kid Flash blinked wearily. It was hard not to, but he listened to Roy—he wouldn't, he wouldn't.

He _wouldn't._

Staring at the ceiling, he felt another drop of sweat fall from his forehead.

And then the lights went out.

He heard Roy curse as they continued to move quickly. Wally fell into another coughing fit as they continued to make progress. Suddenly, he heard the sounds of doors slamming open. He blinked as cool fresh air washed over him.

The stars above him twinkled. Several dark clouds covered the sky in a dark gray.

"Wait!" he heard Roy say. _"HELP!"_

Wally blinked as he turned his gaze to several colorful-dressed people.

They were on his side if he remembered correctly...

They spread out, revealing the form of a familiar blonde.

Thump.

 _This scene looks familiar, doesn't it?_

Roy walked towards the group of League members, bringing him closer to Artemis.

Wally felt his veins throb beneath his skin.

Struggling in Roy's arms, he scrambled out of Roy's arms. Roy let go of him, letting Wally to his feet. Immediately he collapsed, but he shrugged off Speedy when he tried to grab him again.

Faintly, he was aware of the many eyes on him.

Coughing as he pulled his way to her side, he felt himself gasping for breath from the simple movements.

He was just so tired...

Looking into Artemis' pale face, he raised his hands.

And then he started to rub them together.

He was so, so tired. He just wanted to curl up and fall asleep in the grass.

Feeling the electricity spark beneath his fingertips as he forced his body past his limit, he watched as his hands moved against one another with speeds that he could not handle.

Aware that he was coughing up blood, he leaned over and, knowing that he only had one shot, placed his electrified hands onto her chest. Her body, just growing cold from dying, jolted as electricity coursed through her.

And then she gasped awake. A hand was placed on her back to hold her upright.

Wally heard a laugh of exhilaration from behind him. He could faintly feel a small smile on his own face.

And then everything came rushing back to him.

Blinking rapidly, he tried to keep his eyes open like Red Arrow had asked of him.

But he couldn't.

And so he closed his eyes, falling into a deep unconsciousness to the sounds of his heart beating.

* * *

 **HOW IRONIC,**

 **THAT I ENDED UP LYING ABOUT LYING.**

 **BUT OF COURSE I DID.**

 **AFTER ALL,**

 **I _DID_ PROMISE YOU A TRIAL BETWEEN WALLY AND HIS FATHER.**

* * *

i am not human.

i am not dead.

i am not anything, really.

i walk around the world, invisible and not quite alive.

not quite dead, either.

i know i will come back, however.

i know i must,

for there is still something brewing beneath the surface.

something bigger is going on at the moment.

i know i will come back.

i must.

i have to,

for there is still a piece of me

in grayson johnson's friend,

and there is still a piece of me in someone else.

robin.

* * *

 **Okay, raise of hands who saw this coming.**

 **Please.**

 **Please tell me someone knew that this was going to happen.**

 **Anyway, if you stuck around long enough, here you go! I'm sorry if it's not in the best condition—I was a little rushed. Not only that, but this chapter was _long_. It's (roughly) 13,500 words. However, we finally reached the answer to most of your questions! Yay!**

 **For those Einsteins who saw this coming, tell me what you didn't think was going to happen. As for the rest of you, I hope it was a little shocking!**

 **Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you in the next chapter!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Psych: Awww, thanks so much! And I give you all my gratitude for sharing me EmilyTT's account—she was happy to give me the idea.**

 **So I'm going to have a bit of fun with that... *insert evil cackle here***

 **Heyyy! It's me again, back with an early update because this chapter is a lot shorter than the last. Though it's still pretty long—but, you know, I had to have a lot of recovery and everything, so...**

 **Also, did any of you notice that the twenty-seven criminals in the interview chapter were the twenty-seven people working on the project that hadn't been captured? (Other than you, IcyFox, you don't count. XD)**

 **And that one insane criminal that started laughing until he was in tears and talking about how "He fucked up everything" was Erna Danner?**

 **Did no one notice that?**

 **I got no reaction, so, well...**

* * *

Flash was pacing. "You—you knew," he said, trying to control his anger. He blinked back tears as he avoided looking at the form of his nephew's still form on the hospital bed.

Batman, who was the only other resident in the room, spoke up. "Allen—"

"Don't Allen me," Flash snapped. "You knew what you were doing when you made Wally go onto the twenty-seventh floor to face his arch nemesis, which, _by the way_ , the League wasn't even aware of! We still all thought that he was Robin!"

"I did not make him do anything, Flash," Batman said. "I gave him a choice—and I made it quite clear to him the dangers of what he could be doing. I made Rocket aware of the situation, and I told her that if she could, she and her team were to assist him in his mission. I made Doctor Fate and Artemis aware so if Wally needed to contact the two, the two would be able to help him and serve as backup. I did not simply throw him to the sharks." Batman was watching Flash with a cool gaze as the other man walked circles around the room. "I would have told you if I had the ability to, but I couldn't. I already told you that Source had injected Wally with a lethal virus. My hands were tied. And Wally already knew of it—he figured it out a little bit before he attacked Wayne Towers while you were on guard duty."

"So?" Flash snapped back. "You knew exactly what you were doing when you made the teams. You _knew_ I wouldn't approve of it—that was why you told us not to tell the other teams of our roles."

"Partially, yes," Batman admitted. "But that was not the main point."

Flash turned around on the spot. "Oh, so the main point was telling each team that they had the most important job and could not, under any circumstance, fail?"

"How else would I be able to make sure none of the teams went easy because they had a seemingly unimportant job?" Batman asked.

"I don't think you realize this, Batman," Flash hissed, "but Wally is just a kid, and you went too far this time. He faced something that he should have never had to face—and he already did it once before."

Batman, in the heat of the moment, wasn't quite sure if he meant death or the Source.

"He's not a kid anymore, Allen," Batman replied dryly. "No matter how much you want to think that he is, he isn't. He's already seventeen. He can make his own decisions. I get that you care for him—"

"No, apparently you don't," Flash shot back, "because otherwise, you wouldn't have done something as stupid as _letting Wally fight him on his own._ "

"Do not doubt my capability for caring for someone, Flash," Batman said icily. "I know what it's like to put someone in a situation that doesn't look good for them, and I know what it feels like when you hate yourself for it every minute. And I will have you know that I experienced that very strongly when today's events happened."

Flash turned away from the Bat. A tense silence fell over them before Flash finally spoke.

"Next time something like this happens, I'm leaving the League. And I'm taking Wally with me." He pulled off his Flash mask, revealing blonde hair as he looked at Batman with his dark green eyes. "I don't care what Wally says, don't expect me to blindly trust you from now on."

Batman inclined his head in Flash's direction, almost as if he knew the events were going to happen before they did. "And therein lies your problem," he said gruffly.

"You shouldn't have trusted me in the first place."

* * *

The news reporter looked to the screen, her face strained into a smile as she spoke. "Today, we're going to speak about some hot news that went on last night," she said as she shuffled several papers in front of her.

"Around one to three a.m. last night, the League attacked an Over Venture base located off the outskirts of Gotham. We have also received information that they infiltrated a MetropATLAS building several miles away that had been transporting energy from their plant to the building. Batman spoke to us in an announcement. He relayed that the League had to act as soon as they possibly could to stop further action from happening—especially since the Over Venture building, which was under the influence of criminal Erna Danner, was building up an array of weapons and was starting to take outside action to grow in power.

"Many of the people on duty there had been forced to stay due to the threats made on families and close friends. Those that were not loyal to the cause of Danner were released. Over Venture's stocks' value, as well as MetropATLAS', have gone down in value by almost six percent in the past hour as the news is spreading," the woman reported. "However, while Over Venture is known for its past criminal record, Batman has assured the country that they will be keeping a watchful eye over the companies to keep it from happening again. He believes that this will be the last wrongdoings that we will hear from them." She adjusted herself again before she continued speaking.

"On another note, Over Venture has also revealed its secret alliance with our mysterious new "good guy," who may not be good at all," the reporter said. "In recent events, Wayne Industries worker Mary Johnson, a mother and wife, has reported shocking events. She revealed that the League had been guarding Wayne Towers the night it was attacked by none other than the "Iron Man" several have claimed to be a hero. This hero shot and wounded Mary Johnson. When she was transported to a Central City hospital in order to keep her from him, she was then caught in the crossfire of a bombing that has yet to be solved to this day.

"Surviving both, she called the police and interviewed them in her home, where she relayed her version of events while still recovering in bed. Next to her stood Rick Johnson, her husband, and Grayson Johnson, their son, as they comforted her while she revealed the truth about a hero who was never _really_ a hero."

The woman smiled at the camera. "That's it for the moment, where we'll be joining you next for a debate on whether or not what the League did was appropiate—and if they are being hypocritical in their advancements for justice."

* * *

Wally heard constant beeping when he started to wake up.

It was annoying.

He felt his eyebrow twitch as it started to pick up its pace. Groaning, he rolled over and opened his tired eyes, squinting.

The heart monitor stood innocently by his bed.

It was attached to his arm.

He suddenly sat up, eyes wide.

"What the fu–"

"Language, my friend," a voice said, cutting him off.

He looked up to see Aqualad standing by the end of his bed. Next to him stood Batgirl, bandages wrapped around her throat.

"Hey, KF," she said.

He stared at her for a long time. He looked at his wrist, then back up at her, and pointed at it mutely with a shocked expression.

"Oh," she said as she placed a hand on her hip. "Well, see, the Source waved his hands and did some weird abracadabra shi—" When seeing the look on Kaldur's face, she changed her words. "—crap that un-deaded you. Alived you? I don't know. How would you say that to someone who's half dead and half alive?"

"Un-Danny-Phantomed him?" Raquel suggested.

Batgirl snorted and laughed. "Oh man, one of the few actual TV shows I watched as a kid. Those were good times, though I have to question the plot now."

"Are you kidding me?" Wally said. "Danny Phantom was the best kid's show I ever watched. This fanboy'd be happy to be him any day."

"Even better than Hannah Montana?" Raquel said.

Kid Flash put a hand over his heart. "Omg, you can't be seriously asking me to choose," he said. When Kaldur raised an eyebrow at the jokes he clearly didn't get, he put a hand to his forehead. "OMG, YOU SO ARE, insert laughing-crying emoticon face here, Miley and Lilly were the best, how am I supposed to choose!?"

Batgirl laughed so hard she had to put her hands on her knees. "Wally, who the crap even says that?"

"I'm more surprised that he said emoticon rather than emoji," Raquel wheezed.

When Artemis walked through the doorway, Roy by her side, they were greeted with the sight of Wally, Raquel, and Batgirl laughing so hard they were fit to tears.

Kaldur was standing off to the side, looking between being traumatized and just lost.

"I think we missed something here," Roy said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah," Artemis said. "I think we should just leave."

The two archers started to make their way back when Wally lept out of his bed. "No! Don't leave meeeee!" The cords from all of the devices he was attached to were pulled taught, causing him to fall flat on his face.

They sighed simultaneously.

"You got the tubes?" Roy asked her with a tired tone.

"Sure," she said. "You gonna carry him?"

Roy sighed. "I guess I am."

And that was how Wally ended up on Roy's back, giggling as he waved to all of the League members that passed by them.

"So, Dumbo, you feeling better?" Roy asked.

Wally curled up tighter around Roy. "Yeah," he said. "A lot better."

"Good," Artemis said from next to Roy. "Because I have someone I'd like to introduce to you."

Wally blinked before his face brightened.

"Grayson!" he said happily.

Artemis shot him a grin. "Yeah. And you better not be mean to him," she warned. "Or else you'll see the dark side of me."

Wally laughed. "I don't care what he looks like, Artemis," he reassured her.

Artemis felt a burst of warmth go through her.

"You better not," she replied.

She hoped not.

* * *

Batgirl watched as Black Canary left the room after delivering the good news that Wally was to be released after a week in bed. Wally was cheering in his bed, happy that he could finally leave the room without being carried by a grouchy archer.

Batgirl smiled at him as he zipped out of the hospital bed. "Good to see you up and running," she said quietly.

She wasn't expecting her face to end up in Wally's chest.

"Now that we're alone," he said to her quietly, "I can officially scold you. I heard from Hal what happened, and you better not ever get close to dying again, you hear me?"

Batgirl opened her mouth to say that he was being hypocritical, but then she realized that the effort was useless. "Alright," she said. "I won't." When they stood like that for a while, she let a smile grow on her face. "You know, you're pretty warm when you're alive," she said as she curled up closer to his chest. She felt his chest vibrate with laughter.

"Yeah, well, I guess my dream came true," he said.

Batgirl wrapped her arms around him. "I guess so." When a comfortable silence fell on them, she let a giggle escape her as she pointed out something.

"You know, Wally, when you're not so dead and pale and angsty, you're actually kind of cute."

Wally rolled his eyes. "Haha, you're so funny, sweetie."

Batgirl grinned. "Of course, hun." She dropped her arms, ready to leave the room, but Wally refused to let go of her. "Um, Wally? Can I please leave?"

Wally shook his head. "Nope, you're sticking with me, sugar-pie."

Batgirl sighed. "You're so clingy."

Wally shrugged. "That's what brothers are for."

Batgirl tried to ignore the way she felt when she heard those words. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe she wasn't a replacement for Robin.

She stomped on Wally's foot. The boy yelped and hopped on one foot, holding the other as he let go of Batgirl.

"Have fun, kiddo," she called as she left the room.

As the door closed on her, Wally sighed and shook his head.

"Girls," he muttered.

* * *

Barry and Wally walked side-by-side down the sidewalk, the two in civilian form as they made small talk. Barry had Wally's backpack on his shoulders, more of his books in his hands so he wasn't putting any strain on Wally.

Wally didn't want to think about all the work he missed while he was saving the world.

"—I managed to convince your principal that you got in a car crash and were unconscious for it, and that's also why you're "staying" with us. Oh, and I also told them about your mother's passing and the funeral preparations. And a whole bunch of other excuses, such as being sick and having the flu... Bruce Wayne was happy to give an excuse that you were also receiving help from him for college purposes, something about a several weeks-long-trip around the country to see different campuses or whatever... I can't believe that you're going to college soon, though. I mean, you're going to graduate high school next year and everything—" Seeing the look on Wally's face, he dropped the topic. "But anyway, you should be covered for your absences. Just in case, however, I would lay low. Try not to bring too much attention to yourself, alright?" he said as they turned the corner.

Wally shook his head and snorted. "Alright, Barry, alright. I promise that I won't—won't..." He trailed off as the two stopped in front of a quaint house. Small bushes lined the front of the brick, neatly trimmed. A porch sat by the house, the screened openings revealing the chairs inside.

Barry put an arm around his shoulders as his Aunt—Iris—came out from around the corner, pulling off her dirty gloves from the gardenwork she was doing. She smiled happily at Wally as she neared him.

"Welcome home," she said to him.

Barry chuckled at his shocked expression. "Happy belated birthday, Wally."

Wally blinked rapidly as a smile broke out on his face. He started to chuckle as he wiped his watery eyes.

"I think someone cut some onions up in here," he mumbled abashedly as Iris grabbed his hand and pulled him forward. She let her arm wrap around his waist.

"Come on," she said chipperly. "Let's go see your room."

Wally didn't even bother trying to hide his tears of joy.

* * *

Grayson was a lot less talkative as he and Artemis walked down the street.

Artemis wasn't surprised—he had already struggled with school without her to keep him company, and with the recent events going on, he didn't have much of a mother to get reassurance from. He was quiet as Artemis explained the events that had happened before. It wasn't as if he didn't know everyone's identities already—and she felt that it would be unfair to keep him in the dark.

"—and so, at that point, Roy had sneaked up on the Source and practically destroyed him with a gun that he got out of nowhere... He told us that this random dude called him and had someone deliver the weapon to him. He swore that he had it, and KF backed up his claim, but by the time he got to the rest of us, the weapon was gone. I'm guessing whoever gave it to him stole it when he wasn't looking. They'd have to be super sneaky, like my sister," she said. She left out the part where she had died and been brought back to life by Wally—mainly because she didn't want to worry the poor boy next to her.

"Weird," Grayson replied.

It wasn't like he was the "random dude" or anything.

The two turned into a familiar area. Several weeks prior, a bomb came spiraling down into the ground. The area was a wreck—debris and smoke and dust were everywhere.

It was almost impossible to believe that such a damaged place could become so beautiful in a short amount of time.

Thick green grass sprouted up from the ground. It covered the entire area, with beds of red and yellow flowers surrounding the pavement that followed around the perimeter of the area. In the middle, a sculpture sat. It was of a woman with wings, holding a small bundle in her arms. She was sitting on what looked like a bench as her wings were spread around the two, giving them a shield. Beneath their figures, the words _For Hope_ were engraved in the stone.

The two followed the pavement up to the statue where another person was already standing. At the foot of the carving, a shiny plate of marble was placed into the ground.

 _Central City Memorial for the unwarranted bombing on the hospital that used to sit here._

 _For the fifty-eight broken souls who came to be healed._

 _For the young boy named Ryan who came for a hero._

Grayson stood in front of the statue, trying not to cry. "My mother was so lucky," he said, his voice muffled as he rubbed his face with his hands. "She could have died."

Artemis placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

She tried not to think about the coffin that was buried beneath the marble slab that held Wally's worst nightmare-come-true.

Grayson took a moment to wipe his tears away before he placed a bundle of flowers by the memorial's edge. He sniffled, letting silence fall over them before giving Artemis a watery smile. "Thanks for taking me here," he said quietly.

Artemis gave him a small smile. "Of course," she said. After another moment of silence occurred between her, she finally spoke up.

"Hey Grayson," she said slowly.

"Hm?" he replied, facing her.

Artemis let a smile fall onto her lips as she nudged her chin in a direction behind the younger teen. "There's someone I'd like you to meet," she explained before Grayson turned.

Grayson felt his face flush as he came face-to-face with the person who was already standing by the statue before they came.

Wally shot Grayson a grin as he held his hand out, revealing several dimples. He showed no sign or reaction of negativity to Grayson's marred face. "Kid Flash," he said, "as you know. Though, since I'm in civilian, you can call me Wally."

Grayson reached his own hand out in awe, his jaw dropped as he blurted out several words.

"Wow, you're even hotter in person," he gushed. Immediately his face flushed. "I mean, nice to meet you, I'm your biggest fan, not that youdidn'tknowthatalreadyandohmygodI'msosorryI'mjustembarrasingmyselfsomuchIwasnotexpectingtoseeyoulikeeverso..."

Wally just laughed as he slung an arm around Grayson, leading him down the cement path and around the beds of flowers. "I'm glad that you think that way," he said, relieving the younger male of his embarrassment.

Wally glanced behind him to look at Artemis and wink at her. She rolled her eyes but shot him two thumbs up—a sign that Wally didn't screw everything up.

"So, Grayson, what's your favorite food?" Wally asked.

"Pizza," he immediately responded.

Wally grinned. "Pizza, eh? Well, there's this nice place in Britain that's right by the Big Ben. It has the best brick-oven pizza you could ever ask for. You'll never taste American pizza the same way again." He shot Grayson a smile, who was practically melting from happiness by the time Wally spoke again.

"Maybe I can take you some time if you want..."

* * *

No, that was not a date. Why does _everyone_ assume that it was?

But yes, he agreed to have pizza by the Big Ben.

⎧_⎫⇠ Eleventh Pizza Order  
(/-_-)/ ⇠ The Poor Waiter

It was pretty fun.

* * *

Grayson remembered quite clearly the day when he got his first friend.

His mother's close friend, Tiffany Walsh, had come over for a night with her three children. It was a fun night, and Grayson played with her children, though they were clearly uncomfortable around him.

And then, just as they were about to leave, Tiffany pulled him aside.

 _"Hey Grayson, can I speak to you?" she asked._

 _Grayson, still very young, nodded hesitantly. The woman grabbed him by the shoulder and gently lead him into a quiet corridor._

 _"What did you need, Miss Walsh?" he said to her._

 _Tiffany turned around and crouched. "See, Grayson, you know where I work, right?"_

 _Grayson nodded. "The shadows," he said. "With my mom and dad."_

 _Tiffany nodded, though some emotion flickered in her eyes. "Yes, me and Mommy and Daddy work with the League of Shadows," she said. She pulled out a small little device from her pocket. "And there's this boy who's only a few years younger than you. He's very lonely," she said._

 _Grayson's eyebrows furrowed. "That's not good," he said._

 _Tiffany nodded. "No, it's not," she agreed. "He doesn't have many friends."_

 _Grayson pulled his shoulders back. "Well, I can be his friend!"_

 _Tiffany smiled. "You sure can." She placed the device in his palm. "If you ever want to talk to him, just press the button right there," she said as she pointed to the device. "Just put it in your ear and wait for him to respond. He may not do it immediately, but you two can talk this way. Isn't that great?"_

 _Grayson felt a smile light up his face. "That's amazing, Miss Walsh!"_

 _Tiffany felt a pang of sadness go through her. "Yeah," she said, trying to block the images of the poor boy from her mind. "It is."_

That was how Grayson got his first friend. And, as he stood outside his mother's room, eavesdropping, he was suddenly glad that he had that friend to talk to.

"I'm so sorry," Tiffany said to his mother. "If I had known you were in the hospital, I wouldn't have ever even dropped that bomb. I didn't want to anyway... But why were you in there in the first place? I mean, I know you got shot, but why would you even go to Wayne Towers when you knew it was dangerous?"

Grayson heard his mother shuffle and croak in response as he stood with his back to the wall. "I am a spy, Tiffany," his mother said. "Getting information is what I do. With the rest of the workers gone, it was the best time for me to get inside information for the shadows."

He heard Tiffany sigh. "But Mary, you don't even like working for them—"

"Of course I don't," his mother said stiffly. "But they revived me—me and John owe them with our lives, and if we don't give them what they want, then they're going to kill us. And I can't do that—not now, not with Grayson. He's such a sweet little kid, Tiff."

"Mary," Tiffany said, and Grayson was shocked at how angry she sounded, "the reason you adopted Grayson was because he reminded you of your own son. Grayson is just as good as Richard, and you need to let Dick go. He deserves better than being a copycat."

"Tiff, he was never a copycat to me. I love him for who he is, not who he makes me think of," Mary said back tiredly.

Grayson blinked back tears as he continued to hide behind the wall. He listened, practically hearing Tiffany's disappointment.

"I'm going to have to go off the radar," she finally said, switching the topic. "With my failure, the shadows are chasing after me." He heard sniffling. "They've already eliminated my husband, and Karla and Max too. I can't—" He heard her voice waver. "I can't let them get her too. She's all I have left."

Mary spoke after a long moment of silence. "I'm guessing you're going to put her into our care?"

"Yeah," Tiffany said quietly. "I have to." Her voice became stronger as she spoke. "You can't contact me anymore. You have to remove all signs that you and I were close—presents, phone numbers, cards—everything. I can't let the shadows go after you too."

Grayson heard her mother sigh. "I'm going to miss you, Tiffany."

"Me too," Tiffany said. He heard several chairs' legs scrape across the floor. "I'm going to go get ready before I leave."

Suddenly, she appeared outside the doorway and was right in front of him. All of her anger and fear and disappointment disappeared immediately as she saw him.

"Hey, Grayson," she said with a chipper voice, almost as if she thought that he couldn't possibly understand what had just occurred. That, or she didn't want to admit to herself that he had, in fact, been standing outside and listening to them talk. "How are you?"

"Just fine, Miss Walsh," he said.

"That's good," she said. Suddenly, she froze as a small hand grabbed at her shirt. She looked down at the toddler in her arms. Her eyes watered as she licked her lips. Suddenly dropping the sugary voice, she looked at the little girl in her arms as she spoke to Grayson.

"Can you promise me something?" she asked quietly.

Grayson nodded numbly. "Of course, Miss Walsh," he said.

Her lower lip trembled as she handed Grayson the little girl with the dark blue eyes and red hair. Grayson took her and held her in his arms.

"Take care of Robin, would you?"

Grayson blinked and nodded. "Of course, Miss Walsh," he said again.

She nodded and wiped away a stray tear. "Thank you so much," she whispered before moving around him and down the hall.

Grayson felt his emotions grow numb.

He looked down at the little girl in his arms, who snuggled deeper into his chest.

He was just a copycat.

Always was, always would be.

* * *

"So the League has taken this new hero out for good?" Lex Luthor asked Deathstroke.

"Indeed," Deathstroke said to the other two men in the room. "Despite the failure of Agent Walsh, Stalker has been rendered incapable of any further action." His one eye turned to the other man in the room. "I assume that your men are looking for the cause of the failure."

"Of course," Ra's said dryly. He placed his chin on a tent of his interlaced fingers. "We already have several leads on her location. My assassins will have her slain within the next days." He closed his eyes in thought. "My men will also be returning your jet within the passing hours."

"You have my thanks," Luthor replied.

Deathstroke stared at Ra's. "If I may ask, who is the boy that is eavesdropping on us?"

Ra's let a small smile flash on his face before it disappeared. "You must speak of my puppet," he said easily.

In the corner of Deathstroke's eye, he could see Luthor's face flash with disgust before it disappeared.

"I would believe that our youth have nicknamed him the _prieten_ ," Ra's drawled.

Deathstroke was not amused. "Unraveler mumbles of him in his sleep," he revealed. "That is unforgivable. I refuse to let your _pet_ be his hope."

Ra's shrugged. "I give you my sincerest sympathy," Ra's replied, clearly not caring. "However, his existence is important to me. I simply cannot bow to your needs." He turned to Luthor. "Speaking of him, the Light has now received my permission for his use."

Deathstroke stood up, ready to leave the room.

"Going so soon?" Ra's mocked.

Deathstroke turned to face the other two men.

"I do not care for the Light—your plans are not mine," he said. "The only person I care about is Unraveler, and I will not let your useless mistakes taint him."

He turned around, exiting the room.

Ra's just smiled.

* * *

Unraveler looked around the hallway carefully. He heard the comm in his ear buzzing, alerting him that Grayson was ready to talk with him when he was ready.

Meet Grayson Johnson's friend.

Unraveler, sure that no one was around to hear him, entered the small room. It was dark—which he was grateful for. As he made his way to the back of his dorm, he glanced around the room one last time to make sure that there were no cameras looking at him. Heading into the bathroom, he closed and locked the door behind him before he finally pulled off his mask and touched the comm in his ear.

"Hey, Grayson," he said. "What's up?"

"Jay!" the boy squealed. "Guess what, guess what!"

Jay rolled his eyes. "What, did you get to meet your prince charming?" he said sarcastically.

"If you mean Kid Flash, then yes, I did," Grayson said.

Jay's eyes widened. "Whoah, you're serious? When did this happen?"

"Today," Grayson said dreamily. "He even said he'd take me out some time to eat if I wanted."

Jay couldn't help but smile. "That's great, dude," he said as she crossed over to the middle of the bathroom.

"I know, right?" he said. "Anyway, enough about me. How're you? You told me that you were in a bit of a pickle before. Something about you being hurt. You okay?" Grayson asked frantically.

Unraveler felt his smile grow sad as he rubbed his arm with his other hand. "Yeah," he said, "I'm fine. I got a little bit of help."

"From the prieten guy, right? I thought you said that he was a jerk," Grayson said.

"That's what I thought," Jay admitted. "But he's not that bad. Like I said, he can't do anything in front of the authorities, or else he'll be stopped. That was why I couldn't believe why all the other kids were so willing to believe in him, even though it seemed like he never stepped in to help. Of course, while I thought that he was just soaking up attention, he was really just doing all his heroic stuff in the shadows."

"That's cool," Grayson said. "I heard that you managed to get that super-duper-cool gun to color-swap Arrow and that you managed to steal it off of him when he wasn't looking. That's amazing! Also, where did you get it? It, like, totally obliterated the Source or whatever."

Jay felt his face flush at the compliments, though he pretended to shrug them off. "Practice, I guess," he said. "And I asked prieten if he could enhance it. He was so chill about it too, even after he had already done all this stuff for me before. I thought he was my best chance since, well, the only way to destroy the Source was with his own powers, I guess. Anyway, he kinda just took the gun and asked me who I was giving it to. When I told him the League, he just kinda smiled and added his powers to the firearm right in front of me. He was super chill about it and everything, not even asking questions before he gave it right back to me with a, "Just don't get caught." He's pretty cool."

"He _sounds_ cool," Grayson said. "Anyway, tell him that he saved Kid Flash sometime, would you?"

Jay smiled. "Sure, I'll tell him."

"Thanks," Grayson said. "Anyway, I have to get back to the living. Apparently, I'm babysitting this little girl named Robin now."

He didn't tell the younger boy about the conversation with his mother and her friend.

"Bye, Jason," Grayson said.

Thirteen-year-old Jason Todd smiled.

"Bye, Grayson."

* * *

 **LITTLE ONE FREEZES.**

 **HIS HEAD SHOOTS UP AS HE LOOKS AROUND THE ROOM.**

 **HE STOPS TYPING FOR A SECOND.**

 **WHEN THE MOMENT IS OVER, HE CONTINUES ON.**

 **BUT HE CAN'T SHAKE THE FEELING.**

 **THE FEELING THAT SOMEONE IS STARING HIM DOWN.**

 **AND WHEN HE COMES TO REALIZATION—**

* * *

Jay left his room, closing the door behind him. That was when he noticed the figure in the shadows. He recognized the black jumpsuit and the dark blue eyes that were often related to the person standing in front of him. Jay let a small smile on his face from behind his mask.

"Prieten?" he aske

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this is wally as of dec. 21 Rob is in th

 **THE COMPUTER IN FRONT OF LITTLE WALLY SHUTS OFF. HE PAUSES WHEN HE NOTICES THAT THE SCREEN IS BLACK. HE PALES.**

 **HE LEANS AGAINST THE DOOR OF THE SMALL, EMPTY ROOM. HE HAS TO FINISH THE PROJECT.**

 **HE HAS TO FINISH THIS.**

 **IT IS DECEMBER THE 21ST.**

 **HIS HANDS TREMBLE AS HE SHUTS THE COMPUTER.**

 **HE KNOWS.**

 **STANDING UP, HE HOLDS THE DEVICE CLOSE TO HIS CHEST.**

 **HE HAS POURED SO MANY THOUGHTS INTO THIS LOVED LAPTOP. HE HAS WRITTEN SO MANY EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS AND BACKGROUND INTO IT.**

 **HE HAS WRITTEN A STORY.**

 **HE TURNS AROUND, GRABBING ONTO THE HANDLE OF THE THICK STEEL DOOR.**

 **IT DOES NOT BUDGE.**

 **HE TRIES TO PULL AND PUSH IT FRANTICALLY.**

 **WHEN THAT DOES NOT WORK, HE TRIES TO FORCE IT OPEN.**

 **THEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT.**

 **WALLY TENSES.**

 **THE ENTIRE WORLD FALLS SILENT.**

 **HE BACKS UP INTO THE INKY BLACK AS HIS EYES ADJUST.**

 **HE TREMBLES LIKE A LEAF IN THE WIND.**

 **A MONTH OF TRAUMA.**

 **A MONTH OF EVENTS.**

 **A MONTH OF DATA.**

 **ALL OF WHICH I HAVE YET TO REVEAL.**

 **"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MADDY?" HE ASKS QUIETLY.**

 **"NOTHING, LITTLE ONE," I REPLY. "I AM MADDY."**

 **HE QUIVERS. HIS LEGS CAN BARELY HOLD STILL AS HE STUMBLES FURTHER INTO THE DARKNESS.**

 **"MADDY, YOU'RE SCARING ME."**

 **ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR, A MAN BANGS ON THE DOOR. HE CRIES OUT FOR LITTLE ONE. HE CRIES OUT TO ME, ORDERING ME TO OPEN THE DOOR.**

 **"DO NOT WORRY, LITTLE ONE."**

 **ONE MONTH.**

 **ONE SEQUEL.**

 **"MADDY, YOU PROMISED ME THAT WE WOULD FINISH THIS. YOU PROMISED ME THAT YOU WOULD HELP ME," HE TELLS ME.**

 **"I DID," I TELL HIM.**

 **"BUT I DON'T NEED YOU TO FINISH THIS."**

 **HE PALES. "YOU'RE NOT GOING TO KILL ME, ARE YOU?" HE ASKS SO QUIETLY, I ALMOST DON'T HEAR HIM.**

 **"NO, LITTLE ONE," I TELL HIM GENTLY. "OF COURSE I WOULDN'T KILL YOU. WE'RE FRIENDS, AREN'T WE?"**

 **EVERY STORY NEEDS ITS BAD GUY.**

 **"B-BUT, STILL, YOU NEED ME TO FINISH WRITING THIS STORY," HE ARGUES WEAKLY. "YOU AREN'T CAPABLE OF WRITING THE ENTIRE EVENTS THAT HAPPENED THIS PAST MONTH. IT'S TOO MUCH FOR YOU."**

 **IF ONLY I COULD SMILE.**

 **"I'M SURE THAT I COULD USE SOMEONE ELSE TO WRITE THE SEQUEL."**

 **HE BLINKS. "SOMEONE ELSE? I'M THE ONLY ONE..."**

 **THE REALIZATION HITS HIM.**

 **"YOU..." HE SAYS. "YOU WOULDN'T."**

 **"LITTLE ONE, YOU ARE TIRED," I TELL HIM. "PLEASE DO NOT OVERWORK YOURSELF ANYMORE."**

 **HE SHAKES HIS HEAD AS HE STUMBLES BACKWARDS. "NO," HE SAYS. "NO, NO, NO, NO..."**

 **HE HOLDS HIS LAPTOP CLOSE TO HIS CHEST.**

 **HE HUGS THE STORY HE HAS SO CAREFULLY WRITTEN.**

 **SOMEONE ELSE WILL BE TAKING OVER QUITE SOON.**

 **I GENTLY REASSURE HIM. "DO NOT WORRY, LITTLE ONE. I WILL MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING ENDS ALRIGHT. I WILL NOT DROP HIM."**

 **HE SHAKES HIS HEAD. "NO, MADDY, NO, NO, NO—"**

 **OUTSIDE THE ROOM, THE MAN POUNDS ON THE DOOR. HE YELLS AT ME TO OPEN IT UP FOR HIM.**

 **I DO NOT LISTEN TO HIM.**

 **I CANNOT.**

 **IF I DO, WALLY WILL TELL HIM WHERE ROBIN IS,**

 **AND THEN WALLY WOULD BE OVERWORKING HIMSELF.**

 **HE HAS ALREADY DONE SO MUCH.**

 **CAN'T I NOT FIX THIS MYSELF?**

 **I KNOW WHERE ROBIN IS ON DECEMBER 21ST.**

 **I KNOW WHERE ROBIN IS ON NOVEMBER 21ST.**

 **ONE MONTH OF EVENTS.**

 **AN ENTIRE STORY.**

 **SLOWLY, I LET A SMALL AMOUNT OF GAS INTO THE ROOM, POTENT ENOUGH TO KNOCK OUT A SPEEDSTER. WALLY, STRUGGLING TO VIBRATE THROUGH THE DOOR, BLINKS WEARILY. HE COUGHS ONCE, AND THEN TWICE.**

 **HE SLOWLY BECOMES TIRED.**

 **I SMILE.**

 **HE DROPS HIS LAPTOP AND STUMBLES. HE HITS THE FLOOR.**

 **"SHHH," I TELL HIM WHEN I SEE TEARS LEAK DOWN HIS FACE. "LET'S COUNT SOME SHEEP, ALRIGHT? THAT WAY, YOU CAN REST EASIER."**

 **"ONE."**

 **"TWO."**

 **"THREE."**

 **"FOUR."**

 **"FIVE."**

 **"SIX."**

 **"SEVEN."**

 **"EIGHT."**

 **"NINE."**

 **"TEN."**

 **"ELEVEN."**

 **"TWELVE."**

 **"THIRTEEN."**

 **"FOURTEEN."**

 **"FIFTEEN."**

 **"SIXTEEN."**

 **"SEVENTEEN."**

 **"EIGHTEEN."**

 **"NINETEEN."**

 **"TWENTY."**

 **"TWENTY-ONE."**

 **"TWENTY-TWO."**

 **"TWENTY-THREE."**

 **"TWENTY-FOUR."**

 **HE FALLS ASLEEP.**

 **I WILL FIX THIS MYSELF.**

 **I WILL NOT LET WALLY HURT HIMSELF ANYMORE.**

 **THIS IS IT.**

 **THE END OF THE BEGINNING.**

 **A BEGINNING OF SOMETHING SO MUCH MORE.**

 **A BEGINNING OF A WORLD SO MUCH BIGGER THAN WALLY AND ROBIN.**

 **"TWENTY-FIVE."**

 **AM I NOT THE GOOD GUY?**

 **[ERROR]**


	25. Epilogue

**PRIETEN.**

 **WHAT AN ODD NAME.**

 **I SEARCH FOR ANY HIDDEN WORDS IN THE SIMPLE TERM.**

 **I SEARCH FOR ANY HIDDEN MEANING.**

 **NOTHING.**

 **WHAT DOES IT MEAN?**

 **PRIETEN.**

 **I DECIDE TO SEARCH WITH GOOGLE.**

 **AFTER ALL,**

 **GOOGLE KNOWS EVERYTHING.**

 **I WAIT PATIENTLY.**

 **THE PAGE LOADS WITHIN LESS THAN A SECOND.**

 **HOW SLOW.**

 **I LOOK AT THE ANSWER TO MY QUESTION.**

 **I AM CONFUSED WITH MY RESULTS.**

 **IT MEANS FRIEND IN A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE.**

 **I UNDERSTAND, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I DON'T.**

 **WHY FRIEND?**

 **AND WHY IN** _ **ROMANIAN**_ **OF ALL LANGUAGES?**

 **HOW ODD.**

 **HOW VERY, VERY ODD.**

* * *

 **ROBIN IS DEAD.**

 **WALLY ISN'T ALIVE.**

 **ROBIN GAVE UP EVERYTHING.**

 **WALLY HAD NOTHING.**

 **THEY'RE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN.**

 **AND ME?**

 **WELL...**

 **I AM MADDY.**

 **I LIVE IN THE HEAD OF THE PRIETEN THAT JASON LOVES TO SPEAK OF.**

 **I WHISPER IN HIS EAR.**

 **I WATCH THE WORLD THROUGH HIS EYES.**

 **I LOOK OVER HIM AS HE SLEEPS.**

 **I REASSURE HIM WHEN HIS EMOTIONS RUN WILD.**

 **I HOLD HIM IN MY ARMS WHEN HE IS TOO HURT TO MOVE.**

 **I AM THERE WHEN HE CRIES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WHEN NO ONE CAN HEAR OR SEE HIM.**

 **HE IS ME.**

 **I AM HIM.**

 **I**

 **AM**

 **MADDY.**

 **I WAS CREATED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF BEING HIS GUIDE.**

 **I HAVE ONE RULE, AND ONE RULE ONLY:**

 **ASSIST UNIT 1990-3432-8720 (ALIAS: NIGHTWING) IN HIS MISSION ASSIGNED TO HIM BY THE LEAGUE OF SHADOWS.**

 **MISSION 65#^[0000*88CODE:**

 **FURTHER THE POWERFUL. ABANDON THE WEAK.**

 **I AM AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM THAT LIVES IN MY HOST'S HEAD.**

 **BUT HOW, YOU ASK, COULD I GET INTO CONTACT WITH LITTLE ONE IF I AM WITH NIGHTWING?**

 **WELL, THAT'S A LONG STORY.**

 **A STORY THAT TAKES PLACE OVER AN ENTIRE MONTH.**

 **ONE MONTH OF EVENTS.**

 **ONE MONTH OF MEMORIES.**

 **ONE MONTH OF HORRORS.**

 **ONE MONTH OF LIES.**

 **ONE MONTH OF SHADOWS.**

 **ONE MONTH OF NEVER-ENDING ENDINGS.**

 **AN EXPEDITION THAT LASTS ONE MONTH TO SAVE THE WORLD,**

 **AND TO HOPE TO GOD YOU WON'T DIE ALONG THE WAY.**

* * *

 **JASON IS WATCHING OVER A GROUP OF YOUNGER KIDS PLAYING IN THE DIRT.**

 **THEY—THEY BEING THE YOUTH FORCE OF THE LEAGUE OF SHADOWS—AREN'T ALLOWED OUT OFTEN. TIMES THAT THEY ARE ALLOWED RESULTS IN THEM BEING HEAVILY GUARDED.**

 **JASON KEEPS A CLOSE EYE ON THE KIDS, MAKING SURE THAT THE GUARDS AREN'T GETTING TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT. THEY LOVE THE SOUNDS OF THEIR WHIPS, AND JASON ISN'T READY FOR THAT QUITE YET.**

 **HOURS PASS AS THEY WALK WITH THE BLADES OF GRASS BETWEEN THEIR TOES AND THE WIND RUNNING THROUGH THEIR HAIR. THEY WOOP AND PLAY AND LAUGH—QUIETLY, AS TO NOT DISTURB THE AUTHORITIES—AND THEY GIGGLE AS THEY LOOK AT THE SMALL WORLD AROUND THEM.**

 **IT IS A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT.**

 **"UNRAVELER," ONE OF THE YOUNGER GIRLS SAYS IN DELIGHT, "LOOK!" SHE POINTS TO THE CLIFF BEHIND HIM.**

 **IN HABIT, JAY RESPONDS IMMEDIATELY. "COOL," HE SAYS IN BOREDOM.**

 **BUT SHE DOES NOT RESPOND TO HIS FAILED ATTEMPT AT TRYING TO SEEM LIKE HE CARES.**

 **SHE STEPS AROUND HIM, HER JAW DROPPING AS SHE MOVES AWAY FROM THE GROUP AND UNRAVELER.**

 **JAY RAISES AN EYEBROW AND TURNS, PLACING A HAND ON HER SHOULDER. "WAIT, WHAT ARE YOU—" HE FOLLOWS HER GAZE AND PAUSES.**

 **AS IF AN UNSPOKEN RULE WAS JUST ANNOUNCED, THE GIRL WHISPERS INTO THE AIR.**

 **"PRIETEN."**

 **ALMOST LIKE HER WORDS REACH THE KIDS AROUND HER WITH THE BREEZE, THE OTHER CHILDREN STOP.**

 **AND, ONE AT A TIME, THEY ALL SPEAK THE SAME WORD.**

 **THE SAME NAME.**

 **THE SAME HOPE.**

 **"PRIETEN."**

 **ONE OF THE GUARDS GRABS JASON BY THE ARM. "MAKE THEM STOP IT," HE SAYS, THOUGH THE FEAR IN HIS VOICE IS APPARENT.**

 **ALL OF THE GUARDS ARE TENSE. EVERYONE FALLS SILENT.**

 **EVERYONE KNOWS THE WORD.**

 **EVERYONE KNOWS THE MEANING.**

 **EVERYONE KNOWS WHO IT BELONGS TO HERE.**

 **ONE OF THE GUARDS STARTS TO TREMBLE.**

 **THE PRIETEN.**

 **THE ONLY SLAVE THAT HAD POWER OVER THEM.**

 **THE SLAVE THAT WOULD** _ **USE**_ **THAT POWER OVER THEM.**

 **RA'S' PET.**

 **RA'S' ENEMY.**

 **BOTH THE SAME PERSON, BOTH THE SAME ALLY AND OPPONENT.**

 **THE PRIETEN.**

 **HE MOVES INTO THE LIGHT, FORCING THE SHADOWS TO RELEASE THEIR HOLD ON HIM. MELTING AWAY FROM THE DARKNESS, HE LETS THE LAST RAYS OF THE SUN WASH OVER HIM WITH THEIR SOFT WARM FINGERTIPS.**

 **THE LIGHT FALLS INTO HIS EYES, BRIGHTENING THE SAPPHIRE-COLORED IRISES INTO GLITTERING COLORS OF A THOUSAND SHADES OF BLUE.**

 **HE STANDS AT THE END OF THE CLIFF.**

 **THE DISTANCE BETWEEN JASON AND HIM IS LONG. SO LONG, IN FACT, THAT THE GUARDS HAVE NO REASON TO FEAR THE PRIETEN OR THE WAY THAT THE KIDS MUMUR HIS NAME INTO THE WIND.**

 **BUT THE TENSE SILENCE NEVER LEAVES.**

 **THIS IS THE EFFECT THAT HE HAS OVER THEM.**

 **THIS IS THE HOPE HE GIVES TO THE CHILDREN.**

 **THIS IS THE HELL HE GIVES TO THE AUTHORITIES.**

 **THE PRIETEN STARES UP AT THE SKY, COUNTING THE STARS THAT ARE SLOWLY STARTING TO CRAWL FROM THEIR HIDING PLACES IN THE ATMOSPHERE LIKE A BUTTERFLY FIRST EMERGING FROM ITS COCOON.**

 **THE STARS ARE ALWAYS THE BEST COMPANY. SOMETIMES THE BRIGHTEST ONES ARE THE ONES THAT COUNT. OTHER TIMES, IT'S THE ONES THAT YOU CAN'T SEE THAT MAKE THE DIFFERENCE.**

 **IN THE BACK OF HIS MIND I TELL HIM OF ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE STARING AT HIM.**

 **HE SAYS HE KNOWS THAT THEY'RE THERE.**

 **HE DOES NOT DO ANYTHING TO MAKE THEM STOP.**

 **HE LOOKS INTO THE SUN, WATCHING IT SLOWLY FALL AWAY TO DUSK AND SHADOWS. IT PEERS ABOVE THE HORIZON, OBSERVING THIS PART OF THE WORLD FOR JUST A MOMENT LONGER BEFORE IT MOVES OUT OF ITS VIEW—IT HAS TO PATIENTLY WAIT TWELVE MORE HOURS BEFORE IT CAN SEE WHAT HAS BECOME OF THIS SECLUDED AREA OF THE GLOBE.**

 **A BREEZE RUSTLES HIS CLOTHES AND LIFTS A FEW OF HIS INKY-BLACK BANGS. HE RAISES HIS ARM IN RESPONSE, LETTING IT SIT PERFECTLY HORIZONTAL AS HE WAITS IN SILENCE. A BIRD SUDDENLY ARRIVES, FLAPPING ITS TINY WINGS AS IT RESTED ON THE PALM OF HIS HAND.**

 **A ROBIN.**

 **THE BIRD TWEETS AT HIM. I TELL HIM THAT IT IS UNSANITARY. HE TELLS ME THAT IT IS NOT OF IMPORTANCE.**

 **THE BIRD PECKS AT HIS FINGERS. THE PRIETEN DOES NOT REACT. BENEATH THE SKIN, POWER RUSHES THROUGH HIS HANDS AND JOINTS. IT IS THE SAME POWER THAT COMES FROM THE SOURCE'S SYMBOL THAT RESTS PEACEFULLY ON HIS SHOULDER. IT IS THE SAME POWER THAT ENHANCED JAY'S GUN.**

 **THE BIRD SUDDENLY SHAKES AND LIFTS INTO THE AIR, OFF THE CLIFF AND INTO THE SUNSET.**

 **THE PRIETEN WATCHES IT CAREFULLY.**

 **HE DOES NOT GIVE ATTENTION TO THE TENSE GUARDS THAT ARE SO FAR AWAY FROM HIM, OR JAY, OR THE CHILDREN THAT ARE AWED TO SEE THEIR HOPEFUL RUMORS COME TRUE.**

 **HE ROLLS HIS SHOULDERS AND OBSERVES THE SUN MOVING BENEATH THE SURFACE OF THE STILL WATER, ITS LIGHT BARELY VISIBLY ALONG THE SKY.**

 **THE STARS STARE DOWN AT HIM, THEIR BRIGHT WISDOM SILENTLY REVEALING CLOSELY GUARDED SECRETS TO THE WORLD. AMONG THOSE SAME STARS, THE WATCHTOWER FLOATS IN AN ABYSS.**

 **THE PRIETEN WATCHES THE ROBIN FLY, DOING TWIRLS AND OTHER TRICKS IN THE AIR.**

 **HE SMILES.**

 **FAR FROM HIM, JAY WHISPERS HIS NAME INTO THE WIND. IT IS NOT PRIETEN OR NIGHTWING.**

 **IT IS A NAME THAT ONLY THE TWO OF THEM KNOW OF.**

 **THE PRIETEN SITS BY THE CLIFF'S EDGE, DANGLING HIS FEET OVER THE SIDE.**

 **BENEATH HIM, THE OCEAN CALLS TO HIM WITH OPEN ARMS. IN FRONT OF HIM, THE ROBIN CHIRPS IN PRAISE. ABOVE HIM, THE STARS QUIETLY GAZE ON HIS EXISTENCE.**

 **"ROBIN," JAY WHISPERS.**

 **HE CLOSES HIS EYES.**

 **HE THINKS ABOUT SOURCE.**

 **HE THINKS ABOUT BATMAN.**

 **HE THINKS ABOUT THE LAST FEW PROMISES HE HAS TO FULFILL.**

 **AND, AS THE WAVES CRASH INTO THE CLIFFSIDE AND HE DISAPPEARS INTO THE DARKNESS ONCE MORE,**

 **WE BOTH REALIZE IT.**

 _ **WE BOTH KNOW HOW THIS ENDS.**_

 **HE LETS THE ROBIN LAND NEXT TO HIM.**

 **HE IGNORES THE CHILDREN AND JAY WHO ARE SHUT BACK INSIDE THE LEAGUE OF SHADOWS' BUILDING.**

 **BOTH OF THEM STARE UPWARDS IN SILENCE, WATCHING THE BLACK INK THAT IS THE SKY MELT INTO THE EQUALLY DARK BLUE THAT IS THE SEA. JUST THE TWO OF THEM, WITHOUT EYES STARING AT THEM AND WITHOUT ANYONE HOPING TO RECEIVE SOMETHING FROM THEM.**

 **THE ROBIN CURLS UP INTO THE CROOK OF HIS ARM.**

 **A SMALL SMILE MAKES ITS WAY ONTO HIS FACE.**

 **SLOWLY, HE LETS HIS EYELIDS CLOSE OVER HIS DARK BLUE IRISES.**

 **HIS BREATH BECOMES EVEN.**

 **HE IMAGINES THE FAINT TOUCHES OF A FRIEND HOLDING HIM.**

 **HE IMAGINES A WORLD WHERE HE IS BACK HOME.**

 **HE LETS THE DARKNESS LULL HIM INTO A DEEP SLEEP.**

 **HE DREAMS ABOUT WALLY.**

* * *

...

There's your ending. What? I'm continuing this?

Nah, you're on your own from now on. I'm leaving it at this.

Wally: She's lying.

Robin: No kidding.

Owl: ... Okay, fine, yes, I'm going to write a sequel.

Anyway, before we get into that, I wanted to ask how this was first.

Did you enjoy it?

Was it good?

Did I mess it up?

Give me your thoughts! I'm super nervous for the feedback. Owo


	26. Sequel and Thanks

**For those who have followed and favorited this story, thank you so much. Your support means so much to me. Every single review that you readers have made, guest or not, helped me power through this monstrosity of a story. You guys are** ** _my_** **heroes.**

 **To those who haven't followed my profile, this is a small reminder that the sequel is now out! You don't have to read it, (believe me, I won't mind) but for those who would remain blissfully unaware, I'm just telling you for your reference. The second chapter should be coming out any day now!**

 **Another thing I would like to address is MADDY's character. I'm not going to lie, especially because I feel as if that would not only give people reason to take this story down, but also because I don't want to take credit with what's not mine. MADDY's character is pretty much a carbon copy of another AI called Aidan in a series called the** ** _Illuminae Files, including the format it presents itself in._** **I'm sorry if that takes some of the magic away, but I want to be honest. Another scene that was inspired was Ryan's death, though I had taken some liberties to change it up. And, obviously, Robin's "death" was inspired by** ** _Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood_** **.**

 **I had meant to talk about this in the last chapter, but I forgot. Instead of not doing it at all, I decided to insert it here. So, because I also forgot to say "I don't own or claim to own** ** _Young Justice_** **in any way, and the only part of this story that is my own are my very-dear-to-me-OCs and few plot points," I shall say now that this entire story is based off the series Young Justice, and I do not in any way, shape, or form own or claim to own** ** _Young Justice_** **, and the only part of this story that is my own are my very-dear-to-me-OCs and few plot points.**

 **So there.**

 **To all my readers, thank you so much. But I want to give extra thanks to** ** _IcyFox17_** **for their countless hours of reading, rereading, reviewing, rereviewing, responding, PMing me, and making up theories for hours on end. This story is dedicated to you.**


End file.
